The Nature of Love
by Nate Grey
Summary: 6 year olds Gaara and Naruto are exchanged by their villages. Yugito and Akatsuki are locked in a race to unite the last demon vessels. With couples you can't admit you love: GaaraAyame, SasuHina, KakaAnko, InoNaruKin, KibaSaku, IrukaTayuya.
1. Suffer the Children

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Which is good, since I wouldn't want to take credit for some of the things he's been doing lately.

Notes: As I watched Gaara and Naruto slug it out, something really stuck out. Because of their differences, they had some trouble understanding each other initially. But it's because of their similarities that there even was a desire to understand each other. And this fic popped out of my head when I realized just how similar their lives were. Enjoy.

Summary: Exchanged to preserve peace between their villages, six year olds Naruto and Gaara get a second chance at life. Can Suna make Naruto into a living weapon? Can Konoha make Gaara into a human being?

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 1: Suffer the Children**

On the night that the Yondaime Hokage gave his life, several important things happened.

The Kyuubi no Kitsune, feared everywhere that common sense prevailed, was defeated, and the Hidden Leaf Village was saved from certain destruction.

Uzumaki Naruto was born twice: first, as a normal human child, and then again, as a human sacrifice, to contain the immeasurable power of the Kyuubi.

Hatake Kakashi lost a teacher and friend, which would further shape the man he would become one day.

The Sandaime Hokage, as he began to mourn his successor, realized that he would have to give up his life for the village he loved so dearly a second time (although, he was unaware of how literal that expression would prove to be by the end of his second term).

And the Yondaime Kazekage, when he heard of what had transpired that night, would grow very displeased, though not for the expected reasons. But in the midst of his displeasure, an idea began to form in the Kazekage's head. It would be some time before he acted on that idea, but it is important to note that even as he set it aside for the moment, he couldn't help but marvel at what an incredible opportunity it would almost certainly turn out to be.

Because for all their differences, the Hidden Villages were remarkably similar, in that they all contained a common element: people. And people, unlike a single person, were more often prone to make rash decisions, fueled by fear, and a certain amount of misinformation. Ironically enough, those were two things that every good ninja, and certainly every good Kage, knew how to manipulate.

* * *

Kyuubi was not accustomed to playing the role of comforter, but he was playing it fairly well, and for good reason. It was either suck up his pride, for the moment, or end up dead.

The boy he was trapped inside of was weak and virtually useless, but for a while, Kyuubi had admired the boy's spirit. He'd fought back, even when he hadn't stood a chance against the angry mobs.

Now, though, he just let them come. Didn't even run as fast as he could have. The boy wanted to die, and Kyuubi couldn't allow that. Unfortunately, the boy knew that as well. So even if he couldn't take his own life without Kyuubi's permission, they both knew that even the fox's chakra had its limits, now that it had to contend with a human body.

The latest beating had left the boy with a broken arm, and when he retreated to the relative safety of his own mindscape, Kyuubi, for once, had not insulted him. Instead, he sat there and watched the boy cry. It was sickening, pathetic, and extremely uncomfortable. But Kyuubi didn't want to push him any further. The boy was nothing if not determined, and if he was pushed too far, eventually he would find a way to kill them both.

But in the end, he was still just a boy.

So when Kyuubi allowed his chakra to seep beneath the bars of his cage, carefully formed it into a warm, furry tail, and wrapped it around the boy, there was no struggle. The boy merely closed his eyes, buried his face in the fur, and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Deep in the heart of Suna, a boy cried out in anguish, and a monster roared in triumph.

To anyone listening, there would have been no difference between the two. There was one person, however, who recognized the difference on a level that bordered on intimate.

She stood only inches behind him (and he only inches away from the still smoking crater that marked her younger brother's final resting place), but for all of his enhanced senses, Gaara could not detect her. Even if he had, he would have thought her nothing more than cruel joke, or a meaningless phantom from his memories.

And she had no one but herself to blame.

Certainly, the Kazekage was at fault, but only partially. She was the one who had made the boy what he was now: a lost and lonely creature, a perfect breeding ground for the horrors that Shukaku would make real, all in her name.

Karura had wanted revenge, and she had known that her son would suffer because of it. But she had never imagined that she would be around to actually witness it. Knowing Gaara would avenge her was one thing. But being used as Shukaku's tool to keep her son in line was quite another.

It was odd. She had felt nothing for Gaara, upon learning what he would become. Like the Kazekage, she wanted him to be a tool, an instrument to carry out her revenge. But now that she was dead, Karura's feelings had changed. Still she desired her vengeance, and still she wished that her son be the one to give it to her. But now, she wanted him to know inner peace, and be free of Shukaku's constant torture.

It was both her blessing and her curse that Gaara would take her with him everywhere he went. She would witness her revenge, but she would also witness every hardship that the demon put her son through.

Resigning herself to her fate with a heavy heart, Karura buried her face in her hands and wept for herself, and for her little boy.

Gaara gave no sign that he heard her, and yet somehow, he knew that someone else was suffering as he did, and the thought put him at ease. For the moment.

* * *

Hatake Kakashi, through no fault of his own, was very well connected.

His late father had been the legendary White Fang of Konoha.

Kakashi himself had skyrocketed through the ninja ranks, due to what he now thought of as one part pure genius, and one part having nothing even resembling a childhood, despite the best efforts of his teammates and sensei.

Along the way, he'd picked up a single Sharingan eye. That in itself was a rarity, and even more so after an extremely bad night for a certain clan.

Finally, Kakashi had been trained by the man that would become the Yondaime Hokage.

In short, Kakashi, despite having one of the least recognized faces in Konoha, was still perhaps the most famous ninja of his time.

It had not come as a great shock when the Sandaime Hokage's first act, upon returning to the Hokage Tower, had been to call Kakashi into his office, and effectively, unofficially, make the Copy Ninja his go-to guy.

Kakashi didn't mind that so much. The Sandaime was one of the few men who understood the value of little orange books, even if he was a bit more discrete about reading them. Aside from that, the old man had trained Jiraiya of the Sannin, who had in turn trained Kakashi's late sensei. And the money pouring in from all the high-rank missions didn't hurt, either.

What Kakashi DID mind was regularly getting placed on what the braver ninja referred to (behind firmly locked, not to mention jutsu-proof, closed doors) as "demon detail." Most people had better things to do than follow an extremely unlucky kid around Konoha.

That wasn't why Kakashi minded the duty, though. It was seeing the kid get thrashed day in and day out, to the point where it was necessary for someone of Kakashi's talents to step in and save the boy's life. That, and when the kid had that dazed look in his eyes after a particularly spirited beating, Kakashi could swear he was staring down at his sensei as a boy. It was stupid, but Kakashi froze every time it happened, and wondered if maybe, maybe, he was missing something.

It got to the point where the kid knew him on sight. Kakashi wasn't sure how he felt about that. Except that now he felt obligated to step in a little earlier than he normally would have. The kid could definitely take a punch, but more and more Kakashi found himself unwilling to let the first hit land.

That was probably what the Sandaime had had in mind, when he gave Kakashi the assignment. He was an old man to be sure, but he was a damn clever one, too.

So when even the old man was stumped, the night Naruto begged to die so he wouldn't be hurt anymore, Kakashi didn't feel quite as bad. At least, not about being slow on the uptake.

But he could understand the boy's point of view. The Hokage was the strongest person in the village, so who better to kill a boy that could recover from any wound? Aside from that, the Sandaime was the only one who might be interested in granting any of the boy's wishes. So Naruto had been understandably frustrated when the old man refused.

It had been an ugly scene, to say the least. Kakashi had stood there, motionless, as he watched the boy wail and scream and cry, beating on the Sandaime's chest with his little fists. The old man could do nothing more than let him, until the child finally passed out from exhaustion.

After putting Naruto to bed in his own chambers, the Sandaime had seemed even older than usual.

"Kakashi," he'd said quietly. "Go to the dango stand near Ichiraku's. You should find Anko and Asuma there."

"It's not really him, is it?" Kakashi asked at once.

The Sandaime blinked. "No. Don't tell me I've told you this before and merely forgotten?"

"No. It's just that Asuma, like most sane people, can only stand that girl in small doses."

The old man grunted. "Ask 'Asuma' if the offer is still good. No matter what his answer, make sure you see him to the border. It is important that his message not be intercepted before then. There should be an escort to accompany him beyond that point."

Kakashi eyed the old man for a few seconds. "The council will never go for this. If they can't kill the boy, they'll at least want him where they can keep an eye on him. And I can't believe that you have it in you to grant his wish."

"Then we'll just have to convince them that Naruto is very much dead," the Sandaime responded. "And if they're willing to believe the worst of an innocent boy, I shudder to think what their imaginations would do to one that was no so innocent."

* * *

A month later, there was an exchange.

The Yondaime Kazekage and the Sandaime Hokage met at a predetermined location, each bringing only two companions: a certain child, and a trusted jounin.

Neither child was particularly upset when they realized that they wouldn't be going back to their respective homes.

The blond child's home had been a rather unpleasant orphanage, and this was largely because the workers had gone out of their way to make it so, for him, at least. In fact, the boy had taken to spending most of his time out on the street, where it was even more unpleasant, but at least there, the mean people rarely hid their true nature behind fake smiles.

The redhead's home was, in his opinion, little more than a place where people, who were supposedly his family, did everything in their power to avoid him on a regular basis. When he did deal with people, his treatment was usually no better than the blond's, although neither had any way of knowing that.

And yet, on some level they both realized the same thing.

'If he's being traded for me, they must not care what happens to him, either.'

Before he let the blond child go, the old Hokage bent down and hugged the boy. "I am so sorry, Naruto-kun," was all he said. Naruto just nodded, and smiled a smile that was really nothing of the sort. The old man felt his heart break just a little more.

The Kazekage merely glared at the redhead, who got the message, and still would've gladly walked away even if he hadn't.

The boys said nothing as they passed each other, at least not verbally.

'Good luck. I hope they treat you better than they did me,' the blond thought, lowering his head.

'When I have killed this new village, I will come back for you. If your hate is weaker than mine, I will grant you a swift death. If not, perhaps we will destroy each other. A fitting end to what I am, and what you must be, to be traded for me.' The redhead was careful to memorize the blond's scent, even though he suspected the information would not prove useful for several years.

Without a word, Baki picked up Naruto, glanced at the Kazekage, and then all three were gone.

Hatake Kakashi took a good look at Sabaku no Gaara, as well as the gourd on his back, and never even once thought about picking him up, since he only invited death in certain situations, this not being one of them.

Thankfully, the Hokage made the first move. "Hello, Gaara. We are from the Hidden Leaf Village. I am the Sandaime Hokage, and this is my good friend, Hatake Kakashi. He will make sure that you have everything you need. Do you have any questions?"

There was a slight pause before Gaara spoke. "Is your village... strong?"

"Yes," Kakashi said without hesitation. For some reason, he didn't want Gaara to think they were weak.

"Good," was Gaara's response. He was not pleased because his new home would be secure, however. Instead, he was satisfied that his new home had plenty of strong people for him to kill, and therefore his mother would be very, very pleased with all the strong blood he was going to offer her.

* * *

Most things in Suna tended to be of an abrupt, and more often than not, brutal nature.

Temari had first taken that to heart the night she gained a second brother, and lost her mother. Said brother, after the mysterious death of their uncle, had begun to act less like a brother, and more like the demon-possessed creature that he actually was. Temari had assumed it was because Yashamaru had closely resembled their mother, both in manner and appearance, and had looked after Gaara when no one else would. Frankly, Temari had never really been comfortable around Yashamaru for the very same reasons that Gaara had adored him, but he had been the only relative other than Kankurou that she felt anything approaching love for. His death had been just another ache in her heart, which was quickly becoming accustomed to such losses.

She and Kankurou had been relieved, but not really surprised, when they were told of the exchange. Temari was more surprised that they were even being told, and given any time to prepare at all.

It was only when Temari had been assigned the task of packing for Gaara that she realized something: he didn't need anything, not from her, not from anyone. Even if she had packed something for him, he would've just stared at it, and then walked off without saying a word.

Baki gave them their orders just before he left late that night.

Temari was to be the official trainer of the new arrival. She would watch him every second, train him every day, and feed him at least once a day. Anything else was more or less at her discretion.

Kankurou was meant to keep him in line. Temari didn't think that was such a good idea. Her brother had plenty of frustration stored up from trying (and failing) to deal with Gaara, and this new kid would definitely be on the receiving end. She didn't feel too sorry for him, however. If he was anything like Gaara, Kankurou wouldn't be able to hurt him, anyway.

Things began to go wrong right from the start.

Baki returned shortly before dawn, and placed a child in front of Temari.

Not a monster, but a blond, blue-eyed child, who was wary, and perhaps a little confused, but not scared. He was small, slightly dirty, and obviously underfed, but otherwise seemed healthy enough. There were no dark circles around his eyes, no overwhelming killing intent, and nothing on him that might suddenly reveal itself to be a sentient weapon of destruction.

Temari stared at the child, and then at Baki, who was already shutting the door as he left. She nearly called him back, planning on asking if he was sure he'd gotten the right kid.

The little boy stared at her expectantly, not moving an inch.

Well, there was no sense in losing any more sleep, she figured.

"I'm Temari, the lump snoring upstairs is Kankurou. Since you're not hurt, you must have done what they told you. Keep that up here, and you'll have less problems. Now follow me, since you'll have to sleep in my room."

Even though she was already turning away, Temari didn't miss the hint of red that flooded the boy's cheeks. But there was no complaint, no nervous stammer about how that wouldn't be right, just quiet acceptance, as if he had no problem with it.

Or just wasn't used to being given a choice. At this point, Temari was uncertain which she would've been more comfortable with, though the latter would make her task much easier.

She noted with some confusion that he held his right arm close to his body as he walked. Almost as if the arm had been broken recently (she would later find out that only the memory was fresh, the injury having healed days previous), but the only person she'd seen with less unmarked skin was Gaara. She made a mental note to ask him about it if he was still favoring the arm tomorrow.

Thankfully, since Gaara's bed was virtually untouched, it had been a simple matter to have it moved into her room, alongside her own bed. The blond boy seemed immensely relieved when he spotted the second bed, and Temari just barely suppressed a smirk.

"Hope you fall asleep fast, because you'll only get a few hours tonight."

He glanced at her, but said nothing as he climbed into his bed and stared at the ceiling.

Temari got into her own bed, and did much the same.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "What's your name?" she asked.

A slight pause, and then, "Naruto."

"That's it?"

Another pause. "The rest doesn't matter. It didn't help me there, where it should have meant something, so I don't see how it can help me here."

Temari was forced to agree. "Fair enough. Sounds like you were happy to leave."

Naruto didn't respond immediately, and though Temari was getting used to that, she nearly turned over to see if he'd fallen asleep.

"Temari... are they going to kill me?" he whispered.

She stared at him, and the sight stole her breath.

Naruto was still looking at the ceiling. His gaze was steady, his eyes not the least bit damp. This was a child who had cried all his tears long ago. If she said yes, he would no doubt simply roll onto his side and try his best to get as much sleep as he could, while he still could. If she said no, his response would probably be no different.

"No, Naruto," she answered at last. "They brought you here to live."

"Oh."

Soon enough, Naruto's breathing slowed, and Temari closed her eyes, reevaluating everything she'd planned for the next day. She had been counting on an unfeeling pile of flesh that communicated in grunts, or not at all. But unless Baki and her father were crazy and blind, Naruto was more human than demon. This was no doubt why they'd been glad to exchange Gaara for him: this one could still be controlled.

But it really made Temari wonder about the state of things in Konoha. Why would anyone give up an innocent child like Naruto for a psychopath like Gaara?

* * *

Mitarashi Anko was having a very bad morning.

First, the Sandaime had called her into his office, claiming he had a mission suited to her area of expertise. Had she been thinking clearly at the time, Anko might have asked him just what he thought her area of expertise was, because they definitely had very different ideas about it. But she'd been too angry at the time, having just parted ways with a particularly annoying one night stand mere minutes before. So not only did she have to WORK while pissed, she had to pretend she wasn't pissed. Anko thought this was pointless, since the old man could clearly see she wasn't happy, but then he wouldn't be the Hokage (again) if he let her off easy every time she pouted and did her best to make him feel guilty.

Then, she'd actually found out what the assignment was: babysitting. And not just your run of the mill demon spawn, but LITERAL demon spawn, in the form of a redhead with the most serious case of 'what-the-hell-are-YOU-staring-at?' she'd ever seen. The only good thing about him was that he wielded killing intent like an old pro, which meant that Anko was really only expected to watch him, and possibly keep him from killing random people (a temptation she'd had to suppress herself every now and then, so at least it was familiar ground). So it wasn't really babysitting so much as glorified guard duty.

But the final nail in the coffin had come when the old man brought in Gaara's new trainer (who was over an hour late). Anko had already hated the idea of having to share her apartment with two people she would have no interest in sharing a bed with, ever. So she was less surprised and more outraged when her one night stand walked into the room, stopped short, and blinked slowly.

"Well, shit," said Hatake Kakashi intelligently, sounding no more concerned than he had when he'd walked out on her with little more than a wave. "I can't get rid of anyone today, can I?"

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto gets a crash course on life in Suna, and then crashes and burns. Gaara gets a new seal, a new family, and his first friend.

Endnotes:

From what I've seen, everyone always assumes that Gaara is just talking crazy when he talks about his mother. But considering his past, that's probably the LEAST crazy thing he does on a regular basis. So this story is loosely based on the idea Yashamaru's explanation of Karura's spirit being embedded in Gaara's sand is at least partially true. Besides, when you consider the lengths Shukaku goes to in order to mentally torture Gaara, I don't think physical torture would be out of the question, so why bother to give him a shield that protects him from any injury? It's far more likely that someone else is trying to protect Gaara.

Kakashi will be… slightly different. Same deal for Anko. But then they are two teenage ninjas living together, with Gaara, no less. Can you say tension?

Also, for the purposes of the story, I'm assuming that Yashamaru dies when Gaara is 6. Going by that, and assuming the exchange is made in early November, the main characters' ages are as follows:

Gaara: 6

Naruto: 6

Temari: 9

Kankurou: 8

Kakashi: 18

Anko: 17

Ayame: 11 (it'll matter later, trust me!)


	2. Ramen Bowl for the Soul

Notes: This is the point where the differences in Gaara and Naruto really start to stand out. Gaara wants answers, Naruto wants acceptance. The lengths they're willing to go to get those respective things is another matter, though.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 2: Ramen Bowl for the Soul**

_Day 2 in Konoha_

Once Kakashi and Anko had been separated (and even then only after Anko had buried a kunai into what turned out to thankfully be a Kakashi Shadow Clone), the Sandaime Hokage had been able to move on to the actual reason he'd asked them all to come to his office.

Gaara suspected he was meant to appreciate the old man's honesty, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to get excited over the idea. So instead, he fixed the Hokage with a penetrating stare and demanded, "Explain."

The Sandaime looked as if he'd been expecting such a response. "You may not be aware of this, Gaara, but I am credited with being the most learned Kage of my time. So I feel fairly confident in saying that this process will benefit you immensely."

"Just tell me about the seal."

"It's not just one seal, unfortunately, and that is what complicates the matter. Normally, the single seal would be enough, but this is a special case. The Seal of the Black Sun was commonly used on people who had been corrupted by some outside force that controlled their mind and body. But I doubt any of them were possessed by one of the tailed beasts."

Gaara frowned. "So why do you think it can help me?"

"The very nature of the seal is similar to your own constant struggle with Shukaku," the Sandaime explained. "The Black Sun is actually a two-sided seal, the reverse known as the White Moon. In order to keep the two sides from conflicting, a day and night effect is established. The side that receives the Black Sun retains control over the entire seal. It can willingly submit to the White Moon, but only for a limited time. When the time limit expires, the Black Sun resumes control again. So you see, Shukaku would no longer be able to influence you. While you are awake, the demon would sleep. You can still give him control, but he will only be awake for a few moments. You would be able to function normally, without fear of Shukaku controlling your thoughts and actions."

The idea of existing without fearing Shukaku's control... Gaara had never thought it possible. Even now, it seemed like some half-formed dream.

"Would I be able to sleep?"

The old man paused noticeably. "Yes. However, I would advise against it. Shukaku gains power whenever you sleep. The seal would worsen that effect, in that the two of you cannot be awake at the same time. If you fell asleep, the seal would automatically awaken Shukaku, whether you gave him control or not. If that happened, his influence could seep into your dreams, and easily turn them into nightmares. He might even be able to control your body through sleepwalking. But the more seals you have, the harder it is for Shukaku to take control. Their presence alone suppresses his power, so if you had one seal on each limb, and more over the rest of your body, you should be much safer. It would prevent Shukaku from controlling any part of your body while you are under stress. With practice, you would even be able to manifest his limbs through the lesser seals, while he remains asleep."

It wasn't perfect, and that was assuming it worked at all. But if it did, then Gaara could be free, and in control, for the first time in his short life. He thought over his choices for all of one minute before giving the Sandaime his answer.

"Do it."

* * *

_Week 1 in Suna_

Naruto figured out his place in Suna very, very quickly. He was to do what Temari said, and stay as far away from Kankurou as possible. If some of things Temari asked of him seemed unreasonable, so long as she seemed slightly guilty about them, Naruto never hesitated to try his best. He wanted her to be proud of him. He wanted her to want him around. She obviously knew what he was, what dwelled inside him, and if it bothered her, she did a great job of hiding it.

Temari treated him like he was a person, and that was rare in Naruto's experience. She never forgot to feed him, never said he didn't deserve three meals a day, and gave him as much (if not more) food as she made for herself and Kankurou. He wasn't used to the food, but it wasn't bad. Anyway, Naruto wouldn't have complained about the food unless eating nothing would've made him feel better by comparison.

The training was hard on Naruto, and even more so in the desert heat, but Temari was quick to remind him that Kankurou wouldn't have allowed him to take as many breaks as she did. And because Naruto was getting stronger every day, he soon recognized that Temari would begin to sweat far faster than he did, so he kept his mouth shut.

Kankurou, for some unknown reason, hated Naruto's guts. This became more obvious with every glare, snort, and eye roll in his direction. Naruto was used to such reactions, but in close quarters, when he had to see Kankurou every day, it quickly became something that Naruto couldn't convince himself to tolerate. Finally, he walked right up to Kankurou and challenged him to a fight.

It lasted maybe ten minutes, and only then because Naruto's body resisted the poison until he passed out. Ultimately, it was very embarrassing for Naruto, who'd landed almost no hits on Kankurou. But it was not a solid victory for the puppet user, either. For when Naruto did wake up, Temari was still fuming, and Kankurou had caked on his makeup to cover his matching black eyes. They never spoke of that day again, but Kankurou toned down the hostility, and maybe Naruto was imagining it, but Temari's eyes seemed a bit kinder, even proud, when she looked at him from then on.

The only person Naruto had trouble adjusting to was Baki. Without warning, he would show up, take Naruto deep into the desert, and attack him mercilessly. It only took two of these trips for Naruto to figure out that this was Baki's way of measuring his progress. The beatings never lessened in severity, though, because if Naruto showed any sign of not feeling the hits, Baki's strength would increase until he did. These brutal sessions didn't end until Naruto was facedown in the sand for more than a minute, and then Baki would drag him back home, where Temari would carefully treat any wounds that hadn't healed already.

Oddly enough, Naruto came to appreciate the beatings. He knew very well that if this were Konoha, he would be left to die in the sand, and there probably would have been a mob doing the hitting instead. Baki was not kind by any means, but both Temari and Kankuro had endured similar treatment at their father's hands, and they were much stronger for it. If this was Suna's method of accepting him into the Kazekage's family, Naruto would gladly go along with it. After all, if he was going to get beaten again, at least there was some incentive this time around.

* * *

_Month 1 in Konoha_

Gaara was not sure what to make of his new "family," if it could even be called that. Granted, he was no expert himself, but he was fairly certain that it left much to be desired.

Someone was almost always drunk, and usually it was Anko. However, she did it so much that it was almost part of her personality, and therefore she handled it fairly well. Kakashi, on the other hand, almost never got drunk, but when he did, he was of the sobbing drunk variety. In other words, he would lock himself in his room and cry silently for hours, which would inevitably "force" Anko to break the door down and punch him in the mouth for disturbing her.

And even when they weren't drunk, they fought as if they truly wanted each other dead. Gaara was certain that a simple argument during dinner had built up into a full shinobi struggle to the death no less than twice a week since he'd begun staying with them. He almost never felt obligated to interrupt them, since it was far more interesting to analyze their attacks for weaknesses that could be exploited later (if not in them, then in like-minded ninja he would have to dispatch later).

But the more he saw those conflicts, the more Gaara became convinced that as much as Kakashi won, he also sometimes threw the fights. This made no sense at first, but then Gaara realized that Anko would be a lot more intolerable if she never won, and suddenly Kakashi's reputation as a genius seemed well deserved. It was his way of co-existing with her, apparently.

Then, too, Anko sometimes pulled her punches: she would coat her kunai with the irritant that caused horrible itching for a few hours, rather than the deadly poison that Kakashi would have to go all the way to the hospital to get extracted from his system.

It was almost as if they enjoyed seeing each other suffer, so long as one of them did the inflicting. Anko had once come home with a busted lip, and Kakashi had vanished shortly afterwards, only to return an hour later coated in blood. No questions were asked, but Anko did his laundry for a week, and allowed him to read his little orange books in peace for a month. The following day, three Leaf-nin of questionable moral background had been reported missing. Even though the evidence pointed to them having last been seen with Anko, Kakashi claimed that he'd convinced them to leave the village, and the matter was pursued no further.

Gaara didn't really understand them. Anko was equally loud whether happy or upset, while Kakashi was a man of very few words. They had every reason to hate each other. And yet, occasionally, Anko slept in Kakashi's room, and on those occasions, he did not complain. Gaara was not so removed from social interaction that he needed to ask what they did on those nights (the noises were rather telling in their volume and frequency). The only part he didn't understand was why they didn't do it regularly, or at least enjoy each other's company a little more outside of Kakashi's room.

Then there was the way they reacted to Gaara himself.

Kakashi never got within arm's distance of Gaara when he could help it, not even when he was giving instruction. This did not bother Gaara at all, since he had never been a big fan of touching. If Kakashi had done so, it would've been extremely uncomfortable for them both (in that Kakashi would've gotten his arm ripped clean off, and Gaara would've had to figure out what to do with the spare).

Anko ALWAYS touched him. It took Gaara a week to figure out that she wasn't attacking him. She would ruffle his hair, drape her arm around his neck, brush her fingertips against his arm, even kiss the scar on his forehead if she was happy (or drunk) enough. He didn't know how to respond to such affection (or any affection at all, for that matter), so he simply didn't. If Anko was discouraged, she hid it well, but she certainly didn't stop, either.

Perhaps the most startling thing about his new family was how often they allowed him to venture out alone, or at least without them in plain view. Gaara wasn't gullible enough to believe that they'd let someone like him walk the streets unattended. He could already distinguish Kakashi and Anko's chakra signatures from those of the ANBU that regularly trailed him.

And it wasn't as if Gaara had that many places to go. At first, he would only investigate the few places where the blond boy's scent lingered to an overwhelming degree: the orphanage; dark, deserted places that made good hiding spots; and the unassuming ramen stand. The latter of these held Gaara's interest, because it was a very public place, one where the blond could easily have been spotted and attacked openly. Could he really have been so starved that he'd frequent a place that served inexpensive food with no real nutritional value?

Actually, it made perfect sense. It was the kind of thing Gaara might have done, back when he was afraid of approaching people.

Gaara's assumption was proven correct: the blond's scent grew stronger upon passing through the ramen stand's curtain, and there was even a framed picture of him and the two people on the wall. The blond boy was grinning happily, holding an enormous but empty bowl in his lap. An older man was tousling his hair fondly, and a brown-haired girl had her arms draped around the boy's neck. "Our best customer!" the caption proclaimed proudly. If the stack of empty bowls on the counter behind them was any indication, that was certainly true.

"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, Gaara-kun!" said a cheery voice behind him. "Hokage-sama said you might be stopping by."

Gaara slowly turned to find the girl in the picture beaming at him from a nearby stool. The pieces continued to slide into place. If she was this friendly with total strangers, it was no wonder the blond had kept coming back here. A plentiful supply of cheap food, and freely given affection were considered luxuries to people like them.

Interpreting Gaara's cold stare as a questioning one, the girl added, "I'm Ayame, by the way. You can order whatever you want, and don't worry about paying, it's all been taken care of!"

"Where can I find out more about that boy?" Gaara asked, pointing at the picture.

"Oh, you're a friend of Naruto-kun's? You're in the right place, then. He was here almost every day. Actually, you kind of remind me of him." Ayame leaned forward and tenderly brushed her fingertips against Gaara's cheek. "You have the same sad eyes..."

Gaara froze, his eyes widening slightly. No one had ever touched him that way before. Anko's touches always contained a hint of teasing, but that was not present with Ayame. It was as if the girl genuinely wanted to take away all of his pain, and though he knew she could not, something in Gaara stirred and shifted into a more comfortable position. He couldn't be sure, but he thought that perhaps his heart, which had been torn in two by Yashamaru's final acts, was finally beginning to heal.

Blinking, Gaara focused his eyes on Ayame's face. "What do you know of love?" he asked bluntly.

Ayame blushed prettily, drawing back her hand. "You're so forward, Gaara-kun! We've only known each other a few minutes!"

Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly. "The information is vital to my continued existence. I must know."

"Well, if it's that important to you..." Ayame glanced over her shoulder and then leaned forward, lowering her voice. "When you love someone, it means that you care deeply for them. If they're hurt, you want to heal them. If they're happy, you want to share in their joy. If they're sad, you want to make them feel better. There are different types of love, but all of them basically come from having a precious person in your life. You can have several, though."

Carefully considering everything she'd said (especially the parts that reinforced the things Yashamaru had told him), Gaara came to a rather abrupt conclusion. "You love me."

Ayame blushed again, shaking her head slightly. "I haven't known you long enough to love you, Gaara-kun. But I do like you!" she assured him with a bright smile.

"Why?"

"Because I think you need someone to like you. And I want to be that person, if you'll let me."

"You will tell me more about Naruto?" he asked after a long moment of silence.

"Sure!" Ayame chirped. "Just as soon as you have something to eat, that is. You look hungry."

Gaara was currently only hungry for information, but he hadn't eaten in a while, and if that was all it would take to learn more about Naruto, he could humor Ayame for the moment. So he ordered the pork ramen and sat down to wait while Ayame shouted the order back to her father. Several times Gaara caught Ayame glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes, but she would quickly look away, her cheeks bright red. No one had ever quite reacted that way to him, and he found it curious, but not unpleasant. He also found himself wondering if Ayame knew other people that could heal his heart, and if not, how many of her touches would be necessary to heal him completely.

* * *

_Month 1 in Suna_

Temari tried not to take breaks in front of Naruto. At first, this had been because she wanted him to think of her as a tireless taskmaster, but now it was more so he wouldn't become lazy himself. Still, most of their training revolved around Temari trying to think of new ways to hurt him. This was not nearly as cruel as it sounded, because Naruto tended to heal completely in a matter of minutes, no matter what Temari did to him. It was almost a game for them, except Temari took no pleasure out of it, while Naruto didn't mind getting hurt so long as he was also getting stronger in the process.

And he was getting stronger, if for no other reason than they shared the elemental affinity of wind. The first time Naruto had seen her destroy a practice dummy with her Kamaitachi, he had fallen in love with her fan, and begged to use it whenever he suspected she was in a good enough mood. Temari continued to say no, only because the one time she had said yes, the fan had proved so heavy for him that he'd tumbled backwards and very nearly broken his own neck with it. The disappointed look on his face was the only thing that had kept her from yelling at him.

And yet, the very next day, in an attempt to imitate the Kamaitachi, Naruto had created an attack that was easily three times as destructive, using nothing more than his hands, a great deal of chakra, and what Temari assumed was an instinctive but previously untapped wind affinity, since he'd been just as surprised as she.

She had been practicing on her own while, out of the corner of her eye, she'd spotted Naruto merely punching the air in what appeared to be frustration. Temari had ignored this, until there was a sudden loud, drawn-out roar, and the next thing she knew, there was a huge crater in the sand in front of Naruto. It didn't take her long to figure out what had happened, and when she did, Temari flicked her fan in his direction half-heartedly. Naruto's eyes widened, and without thinking, he'd punched the air, sending the attack back at her nearly double. Temari had followed her first instinct and dove aside like a frightened child, and when she looked up, Naruto was kneeling beside her, his expression both concerned and afraid. But Temari had only grinned and ruffled his hair, which only shocked him more.

It was, unfortunately, a taijutsu style that only Naruto could use for more than a few minutes. Temari found that while she could also strengthen and speed up her movements with wind chakra, doing so more than a few times was fairly taxing. Naruto, on the other hand, could damage an enemy over ten feet away just by thrusting his palm forward, and he certainly had enough chakra to do much more than that on a daily basis. It just wasn't something that Temari could train him in, because while she had above average chakra control for her age, she didn't have the sheer reserves that Naruto did (then again, no one did). Also, she was far too used to controlling wind with her fan, and trying to do so any other way generally lead to frustration and little else.

Naruto was thrilled that he could do something so challenging with ease. He spent most of his spare time working on his taijutsu, and soon reached the point where he could beat most of the kids his age without ever touching them. Because of the immense force behind the attacks, most people assumed that they took a while to form. But Naruto could launch the wind as fast as he could move, so as long as he had time to throw a second punch or kick, his opponents never really lasted beyond that. Even Kankurou and his puppet Karasu began to go down with just two hits, and that was when someone finally took notice.

Suddenly, Temari was demoted from Naruto's trainer to his caretaker, and the blond boy began to receive private lessons from the Kazekage himself. Temari could only imagine what her father might be teaching Naruto. All she knew was that when Naruto returned from these lessons, he was usually frightfully pale, as if he'd just seen a ghost.

Finally, Temari just flat out asked Naruto why the lessons bothered him so much.

"Kazekage-sama had me look at some old records," was his answer.

Temari stared at him in disbelief. "That's it? What's so wrong about looking at some dusty old scrolls?"

"They're Shukaku's records."

The blood drained out of Temari's face. "What?"

"They kept records. Of everything he did once sealed inside a host," Naruto muttered. "He wants me to LEARN from that. He wants me to do more than Shukaku ever did. He wants me to be a monster. I don't know what-"

"Are there any records on Gaara?" Temari asked abruptly.

Naruto blinked. "Who is Gaara?"

"Shukaku's current host." Temari hesitated before adding softly, "My little brother…"

Naruto's surprise was obvious, but he recovered quickly. "I don't know. I've only been shown the old scrolls. They're probably just kept somewhere else, I'm sure of it."

"How do you know?"

"If they went through the trouble of detailing the accounts of all Shukaku's hosts, there's no way they'd just skip one, no matter who he was. What do you want to know about your brother?"

Temari paused, lowering her head. "If I'll ever see him again…"

Guilt filled Naruto's face. Gaara was gone because of him. Without thinking, he reached out to touch Temari's hand, then thought better of it and began to pull back, only to have Temari's larger hand seize his in a firm grip.

"You're a little like him. Before he changed for the worst."

Naruto's heart filled with guilt… and hope. Temari was missing her little brother. Chances were good that he would never return. And yet… if that was the case, then Naruto could become her brother. Temari seemed to like him, and Kankurou trusted him enough to allow him to help tighten Karasu's joints. Even the Kazekage smiled every time Naruto bowed his head respectfully, though those smiles were cold and scary. Maybe they could be his new family. Maybe this could be his home, forever.

And if all he had to do in order to stay was let Kyuubi out occasionally, well… at least it wasn't against the law here.

* * *

Gaara sat on Anko's couch late that night, reviewing the day's events in his mind. It was a meditation technique that the Sandaime had suggested, instead of attempting to sleep. If he looked at everything he'd done that day, and could justify them as beneficial or necessary to his existence, he should be at peace with himself, and be able to focus more clearly on what he had to do next.

But his thoughts kept drifting back to Ayame's smiling face. Gaara told himself that it was because she held the means to heal his heart, and that was important enough that it took precedence over most other things he was concerned with. He told himself that she had more information on Naruto, intimate details of his life that no one else would know.

He told himself a lot of things about why he had to return to Ichiraku Ramen the next day, and probably every day after that, if at all possible. But the one thing Gaara could not seem to tell himself was the honest, absolute truth about why he had to go see Ayame again.

He simply wanted to.

That answer held no logic, and it was fueled only by sheer desire, something Gaara had yet to completely understand about himself. For a boy that was used to being called a monster to his face, he had never really accepted the fact that he was, at least partially, still a human being. And most human beings, no matter what their personal problems, sought out the company of others.

This was not something Shukaku would do, and Gaara was very aware of that fact. Shukaku most likely would have flattened the ramen stand, killed Ayame, and used her blood to garnish his meal. But the thought of Ayame being harmed, at least before she could give Gaara what he needed… bothered him. She appeared to have no way to protect herself, and in a Hidden Village, that was extremely foolish. Gaara realized that if he didn't make very regular visits, something unfortunate most likely would happen to the girl, and then where would he be? The chances of finding anyone else willing to share information on Naruto were slim to none, and Gaara did not want to have to restart his search if it was unnecessary. He would just have to make sure that Ayame remained safe until she was of no more use to him.

But he had learned that keeping a person other than himself safe was somewhat difficult. Most people would instantly reject the idea of being strapped to his gourd so that the sand could protect them. There was a way to protect Ayame without letting her know it, and it didn't take long for Gaara to discover it. Really, it had been staring him in the face everywhere he went: ANBU. They probably weren't normally ordered to look after civilians for no reason, but the Sandaime had been very accommodating thus far. If Kakashi couldn't push the order through, perhaps the old man could. Satisfied with this course of action for the moment, Gaara was finally able to focus on other matters.

He was completely unaware of the silent, near transparent form of his mother standing just behind him, so he could not be blamed for having no reaction to the heartfelt, slightly hopeful smile spreading across her face.

**End of Chapter 2.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Gaara expresses interest in joining ANBU, so Kakashi takes him to work. Naruto officially earns his place in Suna… by taking someone else's.

Endnotes:

Before people start asking about pairings, I only have three in mind, two of which should be obvious. I'm not really taking suggestions, though. I want the story to focus entirely on Gaara, Naruto, and the people closest to them. That group will expand a bit, but not by much. You can expect the last two people I plan to shove together to appear next chapter.


	3. Get In Where You Fit In

Notes: With this chapter I really start to break away from canon events, but not by too much. Most of the changes are logical, considering two certain people aren't where they would normally be. This is just the ripple effect, really. But I don't think I'll have to defend the choices I made with this chapter. From all indications, it's a fairly popular pairing, anyway.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 3: Get In Where You Fit In**

_1 Year in Suna_

When Temari heard someone burst into her room at three in the morning, she was both relieved and annoyed to see that it was only Baki. She thought about waking Naruto up, for the sole reason that only she would bother to do it gently, but there was no time for that. Baki simply walked over, yanked the boy out of his bed, and glared at him until he got dressed. Then Baki marched him out of the room, and all before Naruto had time to grab anything to arm himself with, such as kunai or shuriken. Naruto was probably too sleepy to notice, but Temari wasn't. This didn't worry her, exactly, as Naruto was the toughest little kid she'd ever met. Still, it wasn't fair, and that bothered her to the point where she couldn't get back to sleep.

So after kicking Kankurou awake (no way HE got to sleep if she couldn't), Temari went downstairs to make an early breakfast. It was the least she could do, and maybe having a hot meal waiting on him would help Naruto get over whatever Baki was planning to put him through.

Eating as soon as the food was ready turned out to be a good idea, because had Temari and Kankurou waited for Naruto's return, all of them would've forgotten completely about their empty stomachs.

The blond boy returned about four hours later. He was covered in blood from head to toe, and there was a haunted look in his eyes.

Kankurou started to go for bandages, but Temari stopped him. It wasn't that she didn't care, it was that none of the blood, from what she could see, was Naruto's. There didn't appear to be a scratch on him, in fact. So either he hadn't gotten hurt, or all of his wounds had healed already.

And from the way he was refusing to look either of them in the eyes, Temari thought she knew what had happened. She had been much the same way, when she got her first kill. It hadn't been pretty, and there had been comparably less blood, but she recognized that look: guilt, confusion, and self-loathing all in one.

"Tell me what happened, Naruto," she ordered, beginning to wipe the blood off of his face with a wet towel.

Naruto blinked slowly before turning to her. "Do you like Baki-sensei, Temari?"

She frowned at that. Baki was a particularly skilled jounin, which, by Suna standards, automatically made him a less than decent person. And while he had never mistreated her without good reason, Temari wasn't exactly fond of him, nor was she meant to be. She was just used to him and the way he was. That was about as far as their relationship, if it could even be called that, went. When he died, she'd be at the funeral, but she'd be surprised if she came up with even a single tear.

"Not really, Naruto. Why does that matter?"

"He's dead."

Temari blinked in surprise, and so did Kankurou. Neither of them said anything, but the same thought crossed both of their minds.

'There's no way that Naruto could have…'

"How?" Kankurou asked after several seconds.

Naruto closed his eyes, reached into his pocket, and slowly pulled out a bloodstained forehead protector. Baki's black one, from the look of it. "Kazekage-sama… he said they didn't have any extra. So if I wanted to stay here… I had to prove that I was good enough."

Kankurou physically recoiled at such a huge lie, but Temari didn't move. Her father had done far worse even before he'd become Kazekage, so she was disgusted, but not even remotely surprised.

"I didn't want to. I don't think Baki-sensei wanted to, either. At least, he didn't try to kill me right away. But Kazekage-sama said one of us had to die, and then I just…" Naruto trailed off, his body shivering uncontrollably. "I'm sorry…"

After a moment, Temari slowly reached out and placed her hand on his head. Naruto winced for a few seconds, but when he realized she wasn't going to punish him, he relaxed slightly.

"Did you let… him out?" Temari asked softly. "Was he the one that killed Baki?" She saw Kankurou's eyes widen, and he shook his head, but she ignored him. "Naruto? That's what really happened, isn't it? You got scared, and-"

"No. I was scared, but that wasn't why." The boy trembled slightly. "Baki-sensei told me to. He said… that it was what Kazekage-sama wanted to see. That once I did it, he'd let me go home and go back to bed."

Temari and Kankurou exchanged surprised glances.

"Can… I go back to bed now?" Naruto murmured, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"Sure. Just wash up before you do," Temari instructed. "You don't want to get your bed dirty."

"I guess not," he said quietly.

"And leave that with me," she added, holding out her hand for Baki's forehead protector. "I'll clean it up for you."

Swallowing noisily, Naruto came closer and placed the forehead protector in her hand. But before he could move away, Temari's other hand firmly grasped the back of his head and pulled, pressing his face into her chest. She gently stroked his hair as she spoke to him in a soft tone.

"You're not a demon, Naruto. You just have one inside you. You were only granting Baki's last wish. But this wasn't your first kill, or even your kill at all. It was Kyuubi's, and he's done it before. When you do kill, you'll do it in the name of this village, and you'll be wearing this forehead protector. If I can help it, I'll be with you when that happens. You won't be alone the next time."

"Yeah," Kankurou agreed. "Now that they know you can bring out Kyuubi, we should start getting missions for all three us, together. So don't worry about it too much, kid."

Naruto had already shed tears for Baki. But now he cried because he'd gotten what he wanted, and it scared him.

All of his life, he'd been told that Kyuubi was evil, and that he should do his best to keep the demon locked up inside of him. But he'd let the fox out once, and only once. Now his teacher was dead, the Kazekage wanted to see more of the same, and for some reason that was completely beyond him, Temari and Kankurou had finally accepted him. For a fleeting instant, he was back in Konoha, where nothing made any sense, and everyone hated him for something he hadn't done. The only difference now was that he had done something, something horrible, and everyone seemed to like him for it.

But as he clung tighter to Temari and let his tears flow freely, Naruto thought he understood what it meant to be a Sand-nin. There was indeed a place for him in Suna, and all it would cost him was his soul.

* * *

_1 Year, 5 months in Konoha - April_

"I don't see why I have to do this," Kakashi muttered irritably as he stepped away from Anko's apartment building. "Last time I checked, there was no 'Bring Your Kid to Work Day' for ninja, and definitely not for ANBU."

"Well, he can't come with me," Anko replied at once. "I'm going to get good and drunk with Kurenai-chan. Besides, look at him! He wants to go with you!"

Both of them risked a glance at Gaara, who looked… exactly as he always did. Bored. Out of place. Possibly itchy. And not the needing to scratch kind of itchy, but the needing to kill the nearest person for amusement kind of itchy.

And, well, Kakashi was forced to admit that those qualities made him better suited for ANBU than being Anko's non-drinking buddy. Kurenai didn't drink, at least not around Anko, not after that infamous night when they'd "experimented" with each other; Anko had saved some photos that made Kakashi's little orange works of art seem like children's picture books. Truthfully, Kakashi didn't know why anybody bothered to drink with Anko more than once. She always hogged the pitcher, invariably got loud, lost at least a third of her clothing, and had an uncanny talent for passing out facedown into people's crotches.

On second thought, that was why HE had slept with her the first time. Every time after that, he had to plead temporary insanity.

"Why don't I get drunk with Kurenai, and you take Gaara for the day?" Kakashi suggested. "You know the way to my 'office' just fine."

Anko snorted. "Because she doesn't like you when you're drunk, and Asuma would murder you for crying all over his dream girl, and then I'd have to chop his head off, and you know that they do to people who decapitate in public for seemingly no good reason. Do you really want to look after Gaara by yourself, for good?"

"Fine," Kakashi growled, trying to sound as sour as he could. Not that it had any effect on Anko.

"Great! Well, I've got lots to do, so I'm outta here! Gimme some sugar!" And before Kakashi could even blink, she'd tugged his mask down, planted her lips firmly over his, and did… something that made his one visible eye bulge wildly. He was still standing there like a fool when Anko replaced his mask, ruffled Gaara's red hair affectionately, and then practically skipped her way down the street.

Gaara turned his head slightly to watch Anko prance away, then turned his attention back to Kakashi, who was still standing there like a stab victim (at least, Gaara had noticed that people who got stabbed seemed to freeze entirely or move in slow motion, even though Kakashi insisted that he not attempt to find out if this applied to everyone).

Soon enough, the weight of Gaara's expectant gaze snapped Kakashi out of his trance, and he looked down at the boy. "I don't suppose any of what just happened bothered you?" He was pretty sure it hadn't, but as he was one of Gaara's legal guardians, he felt sort of obligated to ask.

Gaara did not answer right away. Anko had long since explained that she would attack Kakashi on a regular basis, sometimes with her mouth. She had added that it was best if Gaara didn't interfere. And since Gaara hated it when someone interfered while he was doing something important, he respected her wishes. Anyway, Kakashi had never asked for his help, and even if he had, Gaara would've recalled Anko's words and stayed out of it. It wasn't that he feared Anko, but she was a lot easier to be around when she wasn't angry.

"Nothing bothers me, Kakashi. Why are we still standing here?"

Kakashi sighed. "Are you sure about this, Gaara? ANBU probably isn't what you might think-"

"They constantly face the strongest threats. They answer only to the Hokage. That is what I desire for my own existence."

Unfortunately, Gaara knew exactly what he was asking, and so did Kakashi. What the boy really desired was the freedom that ANBU would give him. He would never agree to answer to anyone other than the Sandaime, Kakashi, or Anko. If Kakashi was allowed to further his training, Gaara could skip the Konoha Ninja Academy entirely… not that the idea of his attending had ever been seriously considered. It was one thing for Gaara to walk the streets with ANBU shadowing him. But to place him in a classroom with other children who had no idea what he was, and what he could do, was just asking for trouble. Even with Shukaku sealed, Gaara could still respond with lethal force to even the slightest disrespect, if he felt so inclined. And there was no child alive who wouldn't notice that Gaara was far from normal. It was too much to hope that he could simply ignore any sort of mistreatment.

Eventually, Kakashi gave in. There was no point in trying to reason with Gaara over something he really wanted. He either didn't understand the concept of negotiation, or simply refused to admit that he did. "Alright, come on. We'll have to get it cleared first, and that won't be easy. Even I can't do whatever I want, you know."

"You don't have a demon inside of you," was Gaara's immediate reply.

Kakashi winced. It was also pointless trying to argue with Gaara over who had it worse. Honestly, he could've waited at least a few turns before playing the demon card, but he never did. That made it impossible to have any real fun with the kid. Of course, Gaara's idea of fun generally bordered on dismemberment, so it probably was best to keep him as un-entertained as possible.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was, above all, a sensible boy, with a very detailed idea of where he was going, what he would do once he got there, and even who would be there to greet him. As he lived in a village of like-minded ninja clans, he was not surprised to learn that he was not the only seven year old who was practically engaged. He knew for a fact (as did anyone with two functioning ears) that Yamanaka Ino and Nara Shikamaru had been paired almost from birth. But Ino kept dropping hints that if Sasuke didn't convince his parents to come over for dinner soon, he'd lose her for good.

The idea of an arranged marriage did not particularly bother Sasuke. His father would only let him wed a girl from another prestigious clan, and his mother would make sure the girl had the proper training to thrive in a Uchiha-ruled household. It was rather inevitable that they'd chosen Hyuuga Hinata, or rather, that Sasuke had seen her name on the list and instantly asked after her. She was the only girl he'd shown any interest at all in, and his parents had picked up on that, just as he'd hoped they would.

Sasuke didn't want to marry Hinata because she was the Hyuuga heiress, or even because she was pretty. His interest in her was entirely self-serving: she spoke softly, infrequently, and seemed surprisingly open to the idea of marrying someone outside of her clan. At the same time, her father Hiashi was just as eager to find her a promising match, and had been pleasantly surprised to learn of Sasuke's interest in his oldest daughter. This was no surprise to Sasuke; he'd seen Hinata training once, and had never seen anything quite as pathetic. Thankfully, her eyes and her blood automatically gave her enough value to win his father's approval. Hinata already knew the pressures of being the heir of a clan, and probably the only reason she wanted to be with Sasuke was because most of it would then transfer to him, a responsibility he gladly welcomed, if it meant an increase in status, a beautiful wife, and a brood of powerful children.

He had all but told Hinata that when she asked why he wanted to marry her, and to his surprise, she had blushed, smiled, and promptly told her father that she was in love. From that point on, frequent meetings between the two were arranged and encouraged. The more Sasuke was exposed to Hinata, the more he was convinced that she was not very strong, but still very clever. She was no more in love with him than he was with her, but obviously she preferred his treatment of her to her clan's. Sasuke could understand that. It took strength to be recognized among the Uchiha, and he felt like he had to earn attention from anyone that wasn't his mother. Even his older brother Itachi was often too busy to do more than glance at Sasuke as they passed each other at home.

But none of that seemed to matter when he was with Hinata. She never said much unless he insisted on it. She always listened carefully whenever he talked. Though they were always watched closely, either by Sasuke's mother or one of Hinata's silent, nameless relatives, Hinata continually gave off the impression that she was smitten with him, which Sasuke would have resented under other circumstances. Perhaps because he knew these weren't Hinata's true feelings, he allowed her to hold his hand (sparingly), to lean against him for warmth when it was cold, and to even kiss his cheek on special occasions. He could never bring himself to do those things in return, though. Sasuke had first only thought of her as a minor annoyance, but with the amount of time they had spent together, and the many things they had in common, he almost considered Hinata a friend now. Being friends with a girl was strange enough by itself. Bringing affection into the picture would only complicate matters.

Even worse, Sasuke had noticed a startling change in himself. Where once he almost had to force himself to greet Hinata, it became natural. And then he was suddenly going out of his way to greet her. He couldn't even pretend to ignore her if he spotted her on the street. No, he would walk all the way over to where she was, and THEN say he was too busy to speak for long, only that he didn't want to be rude and say nothing to her. And for some reason, Hinata would only smile, nod, and say something odd like, "Thank you for stopping by, Sasuke-kun. It was nice speaking with you, as usual." Even if they'd barely said two words to each other!

There was no escaping it, Sasuke had picked himself a somewhat weird girl. But he could have done much, much worse. He was reminded of that every time both he and Shikamaru ducked into the same alley to avoid being spotted by Ino. Certainly he was reminded of that anytime he was in the same room as Hinata's baby sister Hanabi, who had developed a rather annoying habit of throwing sharp objects at anyone she thought was ignoring her. And since Sasuke wouldn't even glance at her, for fear of Hiashi trying to swap out daughters on him, he'd quickly become one of Hanabi's preferred targets. How Hinata could bring herself to coo at and cuddle the little monster, he'd never know.

So when Sasuke accompanied his mother that morning, under the pretense of buying him an early birthday present, he knew precisely what would happen. He and his mother had always had an understanding when it came to such things. She would buy him anything he wanted for his birthday, provided that the previous year's gift was still in good working order. It was supposed to teach Sasuke responsibility, but really it only taught him to almost never use the things he really wanted. An entire section of his closet was devoted solely to gifts that rarely ever saw the light of day. But they were all in excellent condition, and that was all that mattered.

This year, Sasuke had his heart set on a new outfit. He didn't particularly care about fashion; he only wanted something functional and black all over. Most of his clothes were various shades of blue, despite his own preferences. His mother maintained that if Sasuke only wore all black, people might start to think that someone had always just died when they saw him, and it wasn't the proper impression to give. Sasuke found this to be very unfair, since Hinata always seemed to be wearing white when he saw her, but his mother claimed that Hinata only did so BECAUSE she planned on seeing him at those times (which was actually true, but also Hyuuga tradition insisted on it).

Sasuke and his mother both knew very well that the Hyuuga and the Uchiha used the same tailor. Everyone knew it, in fact, so one would not be surprised to learn that Hinata always seemed to want a new outfit around Sasuke's birthday. Nor would one be shocked to learn that Sasuke and Hinata just happened to run into each other nearly every time either of them went to the tailor. No one save Itachi was quite bold enough to come out and say that such meetings were planned, but then Itachi had been beyond rebuke for quite some time. Sasuke knew that his brother would be amused by the fact that, more than a block away from the tailor's shop, he had already planned out half of the things he would say to Hinata.

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata was much smarter than most people gave her credit for. One could even argue that because she was so smart, she went to great lengths to hide that very fact. Certain things about her life appeared to be set in stone, and that Hinata was painfully shy, clumsy, and weak were the main points. But the truth was that while Hinata lacked talent as far as her family's bloodline went, she was neither weak nor clumsy, at least not to the extremes her kinsmen believed.

Her life within the Hyuuga Clan was so much like imprisonment that she often viewed Sasuke as someone who had paid her bail. She knew very well that he didn't love her, but then Hinata had never expected that from her future husband. All she really wanted was escape, and that was something that Sasuke could give her. He had chosen her, after all, so Hinata did everything in her power to keep him and his parents pleased. That, and she genuinely did like spending time with Sasuke. He was not nice or anything like that. Even his politeness came off as being rather gruff, which Hinata found both strange and amusing. But when she was with him, she felt safe, something that had eluded her ever since she first earned her father's displeasure.

Sasuke was a proud boy, and he would protect what was his. That would not change when he became a proud man, and the sooner Hinata could get her name on his list, the better. Since they had never been completely alone, Hinata hadn't had a chance to inform him of just what happened to heirs that were proven weak in her clan. She sincerely believed that Sasuke would not desire a wife that had been branded, so he would either toss her aside, or do everything in his power to prevent that from being her fate. Naturally, she hoped for the latter, and especially before Hanabi came of age. All Hinata could do in the meantime was hopefully endear herself to either her "boyfriend" or her sister, as her father was a lost cause.

In other words, she was not exactly faking it when she perked up upon spotting Sasuke entering the tailor's shop. She really was happy to see him, and she really did want to talk to him. The excited little squeal she let slip from her lips was probably pushing it, but her attendant for the day (an older cousin, if she remembered right) only smirked and pretended he hadn't heard anything.

If Sasuke was glad to see her, he didn't show it. He never had, and that was his way. Hinata didn't mind that at all, because if Uchiha Sasuke didn't want to speak to someone, he simply wouldn't. But Sasuke came right over to her, trading nods with her attendant before finally moving his gaze to her.

"Hinata-chan. You're looking well," he commented neutrally.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," Hinata replied, blushing faintly. There was no need to compliment Sasuke, they had both agreed at their first meeting that he was, well, spectacular, and that that would only improve steadily over time. Restating the obvious tended to bore him, anyway.

"Let's go for a walk," he suggested at once.

"Shouldn't I greet your mother first?" she countered, sounding worried. It wouldn't do to slight either of Sasuke's parents.

Sasuke grunted as he took her arm. "She'll still be here when we get back. You can speak to her then. She'll be busy getting my gift, anyway." He had barely taken a step when Hinata suddenly gave him a peck on the cheek.

She smiled at him. "Happy Early Birthday, Sasuke-kun."

He stared at her for a moment, then grunted again and led her out of the shop. She was probably imagining that hint of red in his cheek, though. Sasuke didn't blush. Ever.

* * *

Gaara was in what he supposed one might normally consider a good mood. The Sandaime had approved the start of his ANBU training readily enough. Kakashi had agreed to take him by Ichiraku Ramen again, as soon as he placed an order for some new masks at a tailor's shop. Gaara had refused Kakashi's offer to get himself a mask. While it was true that ANBU tended to wear masks, Gaara was of the opinion that no one else in Konoha controlled sand and wore a gourd on their back, so the idea of a mask to conceal his identity was pointless. It was true that Gaara could break down the gourd and shape it into something else, but he had grown accustomed to it, and preferred it to any other form.

He had only been standing outside the shop for a moment or so when a flash of yellow caught Gaara's eye. There was a blond girl exiting a store down the street, accompanied by an extremely bored-looking boy with black hair. The girl was chattering excitedly, but when the boy didn't appear to share her excitement, she whirled around and smacked him on the arm. The boy blinked, gave her a long look, then merely closed his eyes and said two words that only made the girl angrier.

Gaara was walking before he realized it, and even when he did, he couldn't stop himself. Naruto had blond hair, but that wasn't what had made him start moving. He was only a few feet from the girl when it finally hit him.

Temari. His sister. She had blond hair.

Why this should be important now, Gaara couldn't imagine. He had never thought himself close to Temari, hadn't even thought about her or Kankurou in weeks. But suddenly, here he was walking up to total stranger, all because she had a similar hair color.

Gaara was still trying to make sense of all this when he noticed the other boy noticing him.

"Uh, Ino? Do you know this guy?" the boy asked.

The girl turned around, and for some reason, Gaara instantly knew that this had been a big mistake. There was nothing wrong with her face, exactly, but whatever he'd been searching for subconsciously, it wasn't there. Feeling confused and disappointed, Gaara turned to walk away.

"Hey! That's really rude, you know!"

Gaara paused and slowly looked over his shoulder to see the girl glaring at him.

"The least you could do is introduce yourself, instead of sneaking around like some kind of crazy stalker!" she snapped

Interestingly, the only thing Gaara found offensive about that statement was the volume. He supposed he had been stalking her, and probably had made her uncomfortable, but there was no need to let everyone else know it. Still, if he could leave without causing a bigger incident, it would probably be for the best.

"I made a mistake," Gaara offered in what he thought was a considerate tone. "It won't happen again." Thinking himself done there, he started walking again.

Then a hand grabbed his arm.

"I SAID, you could at least introdu-"

At that point, Gaara firmly decided that the girl was being disrespectful. She had a right to be angry, but he had never actually touched her. She had gone too far. But he was determined not to let this darken his arguably good mood, so he let her off with a warning, and never even stopped walking.

The gourd's stopper shifted, and a single tendril of sand slipped out and struck the back of the girl's hand, which instantly released Gaara's arm. Considering what he already knew of the girl, Gaara wasn't surprised when she responded angrily. But, unfortunately, she chose the wrong words to express her anger.

"OW! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM, YOU STUPID FREAK!"

Gaara stopped. Took a deep breath. Slooowly turned around. Glared.

The girl was on the ground, her eyes wet with angry tears. She was cradling her hand to her chest, and Gaara noted with some satisfaction that it was bleeding slightly. The boy was kneeling behind her, hands on her shoulders, as he stared at Gaara with growing alarm. But he clearly still had more sense than her.

"Ino… let's just go, okay?"

"Are you going to let him get away with treating me like that, Shikamaru?" Ino demanded angrily.

"Considering he could have easily done a lot worse? Hell yes." With that, Shikamaru picked up Ino bridal style and started to run. Except that sand had now wrapped around both of his ankles, so he didn't do much more than stand there.

"You want to see a real freak?" Gaara asked quietly as he approached them. "Let me show you." He raised his right arm, and with a smirk, mentally weakened the seal on that arm. Instantly, the arm lengthened impossibly, gaining the signature grainy skin and bluish marks of Shukaku's body, the fingers becoming claws.

Shikamaru's eyes widened, and Ino's mouth opened in a scream, but despite their shock, Gaara missed his intended target. The boy regained his wits at the last second and threw the girl aside, so there was only a muted grunt when Shukaku's arm plowed into him, tearing him bodily out of the sand and knocking him roughly to the ground. At worst, he might walk away with some bruised ribs and a few scratches, but then Gaara wasn't really interested in him.

Ino was still lying on the ground, frozen in shock when Gaara turned to face her.

But before he could attack her, there was a slight pressure on his arm. Shukaku's arm trembled, completely drained of its demonic chakra. The seal instantly kicked in, reverting the excess mass to sand, which fell at Gaara's feet.

Gaara blinked and turned his head slightly. There was another girl standing next to him, with her pale hand resting lightly on his arm. Her large, milky lavender eyes gazed deeply into his without fear or hatred, something he had experienced precious few times in his life. Instead, they held curiosity, and above all else, sympathy.

"I hope you can forgive Ino's ignorance, Gaara-san. She has no idea who you are."

Ino was staring at the girl as if she had two heads. "H-Hinata, what are you doing? Get away from him, before-!"

Hinata caught Ino's gaze, and the blond girl trailed off abruptly at the sight of the pronounced veins around the normally shy girl's eyes. "Ino, you should look after Shikamaru. He's not seriously hurt, but he was wounded trying to protect you. He deserves your attention at the very least."

Ino started to protest, but she noticed three things in that moment. First, Shikamaru wasn't moving. Second, Gaara hadn't moved since Hinata had placed her hand on his arm. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Sasuke was standing a few feet behind Hinata, so even if Gaara decided to go nuts again, it wasn't as if anyone could actually beat Sasuke. Reassured by her complete faith in the young Uchiha, Ino quickly scrambled to her feet and went to check on Shikamaru.

"Why aren't you afraid of me?" Gaara asked as Hinata looked at him again.

Hinata only smiled. "Because I'm certain you've had enough of that reaction for ten lifetimes, Gaara-san. Aside from that, if I had been afraid, Ino would be dead, and her inflated sense of self-worth is not entirely inaccurate. The Yamanaka can be as vengeful as they are beautiful when wronged, and Ino's father holds a certain amount of influence that should not be ignored."

"He's nowhere near as powerful as either of our fathers, Hinata-chan," Sasuke felt compelled to remind her.

She nodded. "That's true, but Gaara-san hasn't wronged either of us."

Gaara couldn't help but notice that Hinata was still holding onto his arm. It didn't bother him, though… and that in itself was very strange. "You know what I am?" he asked quietly.

"What I know," Hinata replied calmly, "is that you are a human being who suffered a very unfortunate fate. But I would never hold that against you, since the same could be said of myself." She squeezed his arm lightly before letting go. "It was very interesting to meet you, Gaara-san. If you ever feel so inclined, please consider having dinner with my family. They aren't exactly the friendly type, but I'm sure they could see to it that misunderstandings like this don't happen too often."

Gaara could only stare as Hinata and Sasuke walked away arm in arm. Neither one had seemed alarmed by his presence, but they also seemed to know about Shukaku. Were they really so confident in their own powers, or did they simply know something about himself that he didn't? He was uncertain how Hinata had managed to cut off the flow of Shukaku's chakra, and was even more puzzled by his own reactions. It would have been a simple manner to draw on even more demonic chakra to keep the arm whole, so why hadn't he? What power did Hinata hold over him that attacking her had never even once entered his mind?

He was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened when Kakashi returned, looked around, and asked where his new friends had gotten to.

"Friends," Gaara said, testing the way the world felt on his lips. "Is that what they were?"

* * *

High up on the Hokage Monument, the Sandaime Hokage closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He knew this was much better for him than smoking, but little guilty pleasures are often the hardest habits to break.

He did not tense up at all when an ANBU appeared next to him, and this was because he had sensed the familiar chakra signature approaching. In a way, it was almost like being reunited with an old friend, although he knew it was not healthy to dwell on such feelings.

"Tell me… what did you think of Gaara?" the old man asked.

"He was not what I expected," the ANBU admitted at once. "I look at him. I look at Naruto. In some ways, they're nothing alike. And yet… it's still there. The emptiness. The loneliness. But I can also see that he is slowly coming out of his shell. The other day, he asked me what kind of ramen I preferred."

The Sandaime turned to him in surprise. "Why?"

"I assume he simply was curious, but that isn't why I mention it. I mention it because he shouldn't have been able to detect me. I'm fairly certain only you would have been able to, Hokage-sama. The boy is sharp. I can't tell if it's Kakashi's molding, or his 'partner' helping him unconsciously."

"Do you think Gaara is ready for this?"

The ANBU shook his head. "It is, unfortunately, as you said, Hokage-sama. There really is no better place for him. Where Naruto would be reluctant to take a life, from what I understand, it's easy and even enjoyable for Gaara. Based on that demonstration he gave us, he's more than ready. Most ninja don't even hear about elemental affinities until they're chuunin or higher. Gaara is well on his way to mastering both Doton and Fuuton. His chakra control is nearly flawless. The areas where he needs the most work are self-control and social interaction. It's lucky the Hyuuga heiress was so close by, but I was unaware she had come that far. According to Hiashi, her Gentle Fist was particularly weak. But what I saw today-"

"Tells us that perhaps that those who are accustomed to staring off into the distance can often miss what is right under their noses," the Sandaime answered with a smile. "She and young Sasuke are a good match, I think. It's fortunate that their parents think so, too."

"Hokage-sama…" The ANBU hesitated, knowing his next question might not be welcome. "Naruto… is he…?"

The old man closed his eyes, but a single tear slipped down his cheek. "Alive, yes."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you-"

"I do miss him," the Sandaime replied, "but that's not why I'm crying. Do you know it's been over a year now, and you're the only the second person that's asked after him in genuine concern? You, and Teuchi's little girl. She offered me free ramen for life, if I would just tell her where he'd gone."

"Did you?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "I only told her that he was safe. So now I only pay half price. A 'sweet old man discount,' she called it. But sometimes I wonder if I deserve such high praise."

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but being nice isn't always a part of the job. There is no other I'd rather take orders from, though."

The Sandaime Hokage closed his eyes. "Thank you, Tenzou."

"You really shouldn't use that name openly, Hokage-sama," the ANBU sighed, tapping his mask with a finger.

"Of course. Forgive me. It's just that I feel comfortable talking to you in such a familiar manner. Unprofessional, I know, but-"

"You don't have to explain. I don't mind, really. But it's procedure."

"Yes. Procedure," the Sandaime murmured as the ANBU vanished. "I hope you are ready, Gaara. And I hope this village is ready for you."

**End of Chapter 3.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto has a chat with Kyuubi, and then says three little words. Gaara visits Ayame at home and gets a neat job. And Sasuke's clan sort of, um, dies. Bad Itachi!

Endnotes:

I'm not implying that Hinata is meant to be a world-class actress here. But she is a kunoichi, and at some point self-preservation has to kick in. Although she IS acting like a Sasuke fan girl, that's all it is: an act.

There actually is a purpose for the scene with Ino and Shikamaru, but it won't come up until later.

I trust I don't have to explain why Gaara might have talent for manipulating earth and wind. I will have Gaara learning something other than sand-based jutsu, simply because he now has access to other elements through Kakashi, and isn't limited to what Shukaku would prefer to use.

If you don't know, Tenzou (or Tenzo) is apparently Yamato's real name. Honestly, I prefer the codename myself.

I WILL take suggestions as to who Naruto should be paired with. But no breaking up other couples in the story just for him. That means Hinata, Anko, Kurenai, Ayame, and Temari (she's not with anyone, but there's issues) are out. If you don't hurry, some "lucky" boy will claim Sakura. SOME explanation for the girl you want Naruto to end up with would be nice, just so I have some basis to work with. Also, "cuz she's hot" isn't really a good reason. Be creative yet sane, please.


	4. Sympathy Pains

Notes: The dates for canon events aren't set it stone here, so don't assume they're perfectly accurate. I'm trying to stretch the story across a heavily edited version of the Naruto timeline. In other words, the big events will mostly still happen, just to Gaara instead of Naruto. But don't worry, Naruto still gets his share of the spotlight, although admittedly less in certain chapters.

Another Note: I have to apologize to my reviewers a little. In an effort to ensure that I see this story all the way to the end, I'm trying to write a few chapters ahead. In other words, when I posted the first chapter, I had just started writing the third chapter. Consequently, my mindset is generally fixed on the chapter I'm CURRENTLY writing, so I may, at times, refer to an event that you haven't seen yet. If that happens, I apologize, but with any luck, you'll see the scene I mistakenly referred to a week or so afterwards. Honestly, I don't mind telling anyone what I intend to happen at certain points in the story if you want to know. But I also respect that some people like to be surprised, and I hope this story has plenty of surprises for everyone.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 4: Sympathy Pains**

_1 Year, 6 Months in Suna - May_

Naruto was not having a good week.

First, Temari had been wounded on a mission. This would not have been so bad, except that she'd gotten hurt helping him with something he'd practiced over and over again, just so he would get it right. And even though Temari brushed it off as nothing, and told him it was fine, Naruto still felt guilty. She didn't heal as fast as he did, so he had to stare at the gash on what was once (in his mind, anyway) a perfectly smooth leg. Kankurou complained more than Temari did, but only because he got roped into carrying her most of the way home.

Then they had to stand before the Kazekage (which Temari obviously had trouble doing, but managed somehow), who demanded to know why any of them were hurt at all. And before Naruto could say anything, Temari claimed that she'd tripped over a tripwire (Naruto had, actually) and gotten stabbed in the leg for her clumsiness. That was not punishment enough, however, so the Kazekage gave her guard duty for a month. Normally, this wouldn't have been such a big deal: having been born in Suna, Temari was accustomed to the desert heat. She was not, however, accustomed to staying on her feet all day in the hot sun with a wounded leg.

Naruto apologized so many times that Temari finally threatened to hit him if he didn't stop. But even when she smiled and told him that she regretted nothing, the guilt did not go away. Temari had done so much for him, and all she asked was that he did as he was ordered. She had been far kinder than was required. He was sure that she hadn't been told to comfort him when he had nightmares, or to give him sweets on the date they suspected was his birthday. But that only made him feel worse, for one simple reason.

Gaara hadn't gotten any of that treatment, and he had still managed to do things right. It was the extra killing that got him sent away, not a failure to follow orders. At least, that was the picture that the confidential scrolls in the Kazekage's office painted. Gaara had been a little too good, and that had made him a threat. To him, killing an enemy and killing a fellow Sand-nin was no different, if both managed to get in his way.

Deep down, Naruto was still afraid that Gaara could return, and he'd be sent back to Konoha to face the angry mobs. Too many mistakes, and he'd end up right back where he started: begging the Sandaime Hokage to end his suffering. He couldn't go back to that. He absolutely refused to. There had to be something that could make up for this mistake, something huge, and he knew what it was.

Kyuubi.

Naruto was still very much afraid of the fox on a purely instinctive level (Kankurou suspected that was the fox's doing, but Temari maintained that it was normal behavior). But the facts were that Kyuubi had saved his life several times, and in Naruto's mind, that technically made the fox his ally, however unwilling. At least, they were both fighting to keep his body intact, so they had some common ground.

That didn't mean, however, that Naruto was looking forward to making any sort of agreement with Kyuubi. Communication between the two had always been brief and heated at best, but it was going to become necessary in the immediate future. Despite the overall environment of Suna being less dangerous to Naruto than Konoha had been, he was becoming more dependent on Kyuubi. Certainly he'd always taken advantage of the accelerated healing, but he'd still been in control then. Now, he was willingly giving Kyuubi control of his body when things got too fast-paced for him. So far, the fox had always gotten the job done and then returned control to Naruto, which probably had more to do with the seal than any generosity on Kyuubi's part.

But if Naruto was going to secure a place for himself in Suna, he had be sure that he could trust Kyuubi (up to a point, of course) to be cooperative. Not that the fox hadn't been so far, but it was never wise to assume you knew the mind of a greater demon.

That was how Naruto found himself standing waist deep in cold water, deep within the dark corridors of his mind, staring up at the caged form of the demon fox.

"What do you want, boy?" Kyuubi growled, his enormous eyes peering through the bars of his cage. "I know you didn't come here just to stare at me."

Naruto hesitated, but forced himself to remain firm. If Kyuubi could harm him from here, and take over his body for good, he would've done it a long time ago. "I want to make a deal with you, fox."

Amazingly, Kyuubi didn't laugh at him. But the smile that spread across the fox's muzzle was both amused and mocking. "You, make a deal with me? What could a little brat like you possibly give me?"

"Well, what do you want?" Naruto asked, startling them both. In truth, he couldn't imagine what a demon fox might want. Actually, he could, and that was why he had refused to give it much thought. He had enough nightmares as it was.

The truly shocking thing was that the fox didn't reply at once. Naruto had always imagined that a creature like Kyuubi kept a list of demands at the forefront of his mind, so that he was either always ready to bargain, or to take what he wanted by force.

"Power," Kyuubi replied after a long moment.

This was one answer Naruto had not been expecting.

"Power? How can you possibly want power? You're the Nine-Tailed Fox! The greatest of all demons! If you don't have enough power already, no one ever will!"

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, boy, and you misunderstand me. I want power, but I never said I wanted it for myself." Kyuubi's eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to the bars of his cage. "You are the one who will obtain the power I seek, and you will use it become worthy of being my prison. In other words, I'm going to make you strong."

That sounded a little too good to be true, and Naruto was not so gullible as to believe Kyuubi would help him for nothing. "What do you get out of it? No way you'd help me if there wasn't something in it for you."

The fox chuckled. "So you're not a complete idiot. Good. You may have noticed that most people have a way of looking through you and only seeing me. Since that's the case, we might as well give them what they expect: a demon in human form. The irony there is that if you do what I say, you won't even need my knowledge to be a serious threat most of the time. You'll have learned enough to do major damage with just my chakra alone. And speaking of my chakra, you're going to need more of it for what I have planned."

"And you're just going to give it to me," Naruto muttered doubtfully.

"Of course not. There are conditions, and if you don't come through on your end, I can always take my chakra back, let you heal up the boring human way, or worse. First, you'll have to limit some of those silly human emotions. You won't learn anything if you're always worried about things you can't control. For example, it's time you told that girl how you really feel about her. You spend far too much time worrying about how she sees you."

"Uh... what girl?" Naruto murmured, avoiding Kyuubi's gaze.

"The leggy blond one that you're always finding excuses to hug. She can't read your mind; only I can do that. Just tell her the truth or I'll eat her."

"You can't eat her. You're stuck in here."

"True. But you're not."

Naruto got a sudden image of blood dripping from his mouth as he took a bite of some meat he would rather not know the origins of.

"ALRIGHT! I'll tell her!"

"Good boy," Kyuubi chuckled, moving away from the bars. "You'll hear from me once I've prepared your first lesson... and only after you've talked to the girl."

* * *

Temari was in the midst of a very nice dream when someone began poking her ribs insistently. She grunted, smacked the offending finger lightly, and rolled over. When the poking began again, she rolled towards the disturbance, this time with battle fan in hand, intending to bring it down on the head of whoever had dared to wake her up. Kankurou would know better, and Naruto had figured out very quickly that you didn't screw with a girl's beauty sleep, or any other kind of sleep, unless you wanted your head caved in. 

Surprisingly, the fan was caught, although with a strained grunt. This was unexpected enough that Temari cracked one eye open, only to find Naruto wincing as he pushed the fan aside with some difficulty.

"This better be something that can't wait," she sighed, opening her other eye as well. The expression on Naruto's face told her that this was not exactly the case, and Temari debated whether she should whack him again, or roll over and try to get back to sleep.

"Not really, but I still need to tell you right now." He clenched and unclenched his hands nervously.

"Well, spit it out so we can both go back to sleep!"

"I love you!"

Temari's eyes widened, to the point where Naruto feared they might pop out of her head. After several moments had passed in tense silence, she blinked slowly, and finally whispered, "What?"

Naruto blushed furiously. "Don't make me say it again so soon."

"No, I meant… what do you mean, exactly?"

"Oh. Um…" Naruto bit his lip, his eyes shifting to the wall. "I'd really like it if you could start thinking of me as your brother."

Temari instantly relaxed, feeling like she'd just been given a huge break. "I see. So you love Kankurou, too?" That earned her an odd look. "To the extent anyone can, I mean."

"He's okay, I guess," was all Naruto would commit to. "Anyway, that's all I wanted to say…" He started to shuffle back to his bad.

"Naruto?"

He stopped and turned back to her, unable to conceal the hope in his eyes. "Yeah?"

Temari started to speak, then stopped. It was crazy, but she couldn't say the words that had entered her mind. Even crazier was the reason: she felt like she was betraying Gaara. He'd never said the words to her, and if she'd ever said them to him, they'd both been too young to remember.

"Temari?" Naruto was staring at her a little uncertainly.

She forced a weak smile. "Um… thank you, Naruto." Somehow, she knew what his reaction would be the instant the words left her lips.

Naruto's blue eyes seemed to lose some of their brilliance. "You're welcome, Temari," he replied calmly. With that, he climbed into his bed and lay far too still.

She knew what he was thinking. Naruto thought she didn't love him because of Kyuubi, but it wasn't that at all. Temari had admitted to herself long ago that she cared for Naruto, and didn't like to see him suffer. In some ways, he was more her brother than Gaara had ever been. And she had managed to love Gaara, from a distance, through Shukaku and all, even though he had technically taken her mother from her. But he had been born her brother, and automatically won a place in her heart. Naruto was trying his best to earn a place… Gaara's place. And even if she wanted him to have it, Temari wasn't sure that she could give it to him. What if she saw Gaara again? What if Konoha somehow changed him for the better? What then?

Until she made up her mind, she would be unable to tell Naruto what he wanted so desperately to hear. But there were other ways to make him feel wanted.

Knowing she might regret it later, Temari carefully sat up, moved to the edge of her bed, and limped over to Naruto's bed, doing her best not to put pressure on her bad leg. He was still pretending to sleep, and he stiffened when Temari gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," she murmured. "I'm not used to having a little brother who says things like that to me. But I promise I'll try." Getting no response, she leaned down and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head against his. "You are precious to me. I'm just not usually in a very good position to show it. I hope you can forgive me for that, but that's part of being a Sand-nin, and the Kazekage's oldest child."

Naruto said nothing to this, but he made no further attempt to resist her, so Temari counted it as a small victory. And when she dropped a light kiss on his forehead, Temari could see that Naruto was not quite as upset as he had been, judging by the slight flush in his cheek. She ruffled his hair once more before returning to her own bed.

That night, however, she would dream only of Gaara, lost in a dense forest with nothing but his gourd and his demon for company.

* * *

_1 Year, 7 Months in Konoha - June_

Among the many activities that the Sandaime Hokage suggested to maintain inner peace, the one Gaara found easiest was sculpting. The gourd on his back provided plenty of material to work with, and it was also an excellent way to improve chakra control. For a long time, the sand had done whatever it wanted in its efforts to defend him. But as time passed, Gaara found that the sand would obey his thoughts if he made it clear that they were orders. Usually, the shorter the order, the more precisely it would be carried out: thinking "grab that" and looking at an object gave better results than "bring me that white bowl," so apparently the sand was fairly simple-minded in what it could understand.

Sculpting, however, was a little more complicated. The sand could only shape the simplest of objects on its own: a kunai, a ball, a hand. Beyond that, it fell to Gaara to shape the more detailed objects from memory and imagination. People were among the most difficult, especially the dead ones that Gaara couldn't really refresh his memory on. He was not surprised that the two that came easiest to him were his mother and uncle. They looked similar enough, especially standing side by side, and Gaara had spent a great deal of time staring at the picture Yashamaru kept of his mother. He regretted not bringing it with him, but there was a good chance the Kazekage wouldn't have allowed it.

The sand clones had training applications, but Gaara had not yet thought to use them in such a way. This was probably because some of the clones, or at least, the ones of his mother, had a way of suddenly coming to life on their own. But these occurrences did not bother Gaara; more than anything, they puzzled him. He had never gotten to see his mother when she was alive, yet he had no problem having conversations with a sand clone of her.

Anyway, they started talking to him first. Ignoring them would have been difficult.

Today, however, his mother was acting strangely. Usually, she was interested only in what Gaara was doing at the moment. But she had spent most of the morning staring out of the window with a troubled frown on her face.

"You shouldn't go outside today, Gaara," she said abruptly, never looking away from the window. "This day is evil."

"How do you know, okaa-san?" Gaara asked.

"Spirits of the newly dead are always the loudest. I can hear them quite easily." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "You're going out, aren't you, my son?"

"I must," Gaara replied simply.

"I see." Her lips curved upward slightly, inching toward a smile. "Ayame will be happy to see you."

Gaara blinked at that, but said nothing as his mother willingly collapsed into loose sand, flowing back into his gourd within seconds. A minute later, he stepped onto the deserted street and set out for Ayame's house. He was probably an odd sight: an eight year old walking the streets alone in a tattered brown cloak with a gourd strapped to his back, but he didn't run into anyone.

Fortune seemed to be on Gaara's side that day, because he reached his destination only seconds before the front door opened, revealing a startled but delighted Ayame.

"Gaara-kun! What are you doing here so early? We were just on our way to open the ramen stand!"

A minute later and he might have missed them entirely. Gaara tried not to think about that as Ayame's father appeared behind her.

"Teuchi-san," Gaara said firmly. "Can you afford to keep your stand closed for one day?"

The old man's eyebrows rose a bit at that, but he could tell that Gaara wasn't kidding. "Yeah, if I had to. Why?"

"I have reason to believe that you and Ayame would be safer at home today."

Thankfully, Teuchi didn't ask any more questions. He simply invited Gaara in and started making breakfast for the three of them.

Ayame was curious, of course, but Gaara managed to distract her by asking about the pictures hanging on the wall. He learned that Ayame's mother had died due to complications during childbirth, and though that fact didn't appear to bother Ayame too much, it made Gaara pause and wonder if they were more alike then he'd ever guessed.

Breakfast was new but comfortable; Teuchi's skill at cooking obviously went well beyond ramen. Gaara barely tasted the food as it was. His focus was on the many chakra signatures that kept rushing past the house. By the tightly wound feel of them, most were either jounin or ANBU, and all were agitated. He could have shared this information with his hosts, but he saw no reason to worry them needlessly.

About an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Gaara nodded to Ayame, who went to the door and let in a very stressed Anko. She forced a smile for the girl's sake, but when Anko placed her hand on his head, Gaara could feel the waves of anxiety rolling off of her. They shared a brief, meaningful look, and Gaara immediately distracted Ayame by making miniature sand people. Anko didn't bother with small talk. She basically told Teuchi the same thing Gaara had: stay home for the day. After promising to make sure nothing happened to the ramen stand, they were out the door.

Anko ran a hand through her hair as she glanced down at Gaara. "How well do you know Uchiha Itachi?"

"I don't," was Gaara's honest reply. Most people only knew of Itachi. There were probably only a handful that actually knew him, and they were all relatives. Gaara had encountered the Uchiha prodigy on only a few occasions, none of which lasted very long, but all of which stood out in his mind. Itachi was not a person that was easily forgotten, and Gaara was not in the habit of forgetting Konoha's elite ninja when he came across them.

"That's good, I guess," Anko muttered. "He snapped last night. Killed his whole clan before he ran off. Except for his little brother, and we're not so sure the kid came out of this completely sane."

This news did not have a great impact on Gaara. He knew that Itachi had recently become an ANBU captain, and would not have minded being placed in his squad. All this really meant to him was that there was plenty of room for advancement now. But as he considered Anko's words a second time, something else raised a flag in his mind.

"Where is Sasuke now?"

"Hospital. Itachi left him alive, but he wasn't nice about it."

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke woke up to see Hyuuga Hinata's large pale eyes peering at him. This did not surprise him, but it did make him wonder briefly how long she'd been sitting there. 

"Do you want some water, Sasuke-kun?" she asked quietly.

He nodded, allowing her to bring a cup to his lips without protest. Every part of his body seemed to be exhausted, even though he'd been unconscious for a few hours at least.

"Is there anything else you want?"

Sasuke thought carefully about that. "Tell me it was all a dream, Hinata-chan. A nightmare."

"I can't do that," she replied softly, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "I wish I could, but you can't afford to have your mind be anywhere be here right now. People are already questioning your sanity. They need to see that you're still here with us."

"My clan is dead," he whispered in a hollow voice.

"The Uchiha will live so long as you and I do."

His head snapped up at her words, but there was not even a hint of doubt in her eyes as she stared at him. "Hinata-chan…"

A small smile spread across her face. "You seem so surprised, Sasuke-kun. I'm certain we've discussed this possibility before. Now it's just a little more necessary."

"Do you really mean that?" Sasuke whispered, lowering his head. "Or are you just saying it because you think I'll do something desperate otherwise?"

Hinata gently grasped his face and made him look at her. "I am your wife, Sasuke-kun. It's time we both started thinking in those terms: making decisions for our clan. To be honest, I would have married you the moment I met you, had it been up to me."

Sasuke didn't want to believe her. But he couldn't deny the pleasant shiver than ran down his spine when she talked as if they were already man and wife. It made sense to him, and he desperately needed that, now that nothing else seemed to. Hinata would never betray him. She needed him far too much. He could depend on her loyalty.

"Why didn't Itachi kill me? If he really did it to test his power... was I truly not worth killing?"

Hinata didn't answer him. The few times she had spoken to Itachi, he'd been polite but detached, in a way that led her to believe he didn't care for people in general. He had been obsessed with training and missions, rarely having time for anything or anyone between those. She could not even begin to imagine why he might have spared Sasuke alone. But that wasn't what Sasuke needed to hear at the moment.

"It's more important that you are still alive, Sasuke-kun. Why Itachi did this is unimportant; he's clearly insane. And do you really think there could ever be a reason good enough to justify his actions and make you forgive him?"

"No. But I can't just accept that he only did this to test himself. If it was only that, there were other ways!"

Hinata really had no response to that. It seemed that every week, her father had her sparring against another relative. That her father and Itachi had much the same mindset did nothing to comfort her, and she couldn't bear to tell Sasuke that.

"You can't dwell on the why of it, Sasuke-kun. It'll poison you slowly, and then it will be as if Itachi really had killed you, too. I won't lose you that way, or any other, for that matter. We must live, and live well. That will be our revenge until we can face him. You cannot allow your brother, or the memory of this day, to control your life. You cannot become what he expects. If you must become an avenger, then become one on your own terms. Do not follow the path he has laid out for you. Make your own."

"I want to kill him. I want to feel his lifeblood stain my hands. I want to watch the light leave his eyes as he dies."

Slowly, Hinata stood up and moved away from the bed. "That's Itachi talking. Do you realize what you're saying?"

Sasuke glared at her back. "He killed my clan! Our family! He has to die by my hands!"

"I never said he shouldn't," Hinata replied calmly. "But you must remember your purpose. You are going to kill Itachi so that your family can rest in peace, and so that your clan can be reborn. If you kill him just to prove you are stronger, then you are no better than he is. I could not marry someone like that, Sasuke-kun, so don't expect me to."

"Can't you understand? I'll never defeat Itachi unless I get much stronger! I couldn't even touch him!"

Hinata stared at him. "So you did try to attack him."

Sasuke blinked at her. "Why wouldn't I, after what he did?"

"That's just it. Has there ever been another time where you were able to attack your brother without fear of what would happen to you?"

"No." Sasuke had no idea where she was going with this. Attacking Itachi, even in jest, had always been considered a quick way to die. Sasuke was probably the only one that had ever gotten away with his life, or at least what was left of it.

Hinata's face seemed to light up. "Don't you see? You lost your fear when you fought to avenge your clan. You were stronger because you fought for people you cared for. Itachi has already given you the means to defeat him. But he expects hatred to be your weapon, not love. You can do anything for someone you love, Sasuke-kun. I know that now… because I love you."

Sasuke stared at Hinata as if he'd never seen her before. Could this truly be the same girl he had planned to wed out of convenience? The same one he addressed with affection, first to ease his parents' concerns, and then out of habit? "In case you forgot, I'm supposed to be the crazy one."

She smiled slightly. "Believe me, it is nothing I expected to happen, or at least not so soon. When I first heard what had happened, I couldn't breathe, Sasuke-kun. I thought I had lost you, and I should have been worried about what I'd do to save myself. But all I could think about was never being able to marry you, bear your children, and grow old with you. And when I was told that you were alive, I had to be with you. I want to be with you. Even if you never feel the same for me, I wouldn't mind. I just want you to know, so that you never wonder why I choose to stay with you."

"What do you want from me, then?" Sasuke said.

"The same things I wanted before. Although I suppose asking for a smile occasionally would be pushing it."

He frowned at her. "You'll only get hurt, Hinata-chan. I wish you hadn't told me this."

She leaned close and kissed his cheek. "That you're concerned only tells me you care, Sasuke-kun. That's enough for me."

Neither of them noticed the floating eye just outside the window, surrounded by constantly swirling sand.

* * *

Anko didn't want to say so out loud, but she thought Gaara was developing an unhealthy interest in the Uchiha Clan, now that most of them were dead. First, he had wanted to visit Sasuke in the hospital, but instead spent the whole time spying on the boy. Then he had volunteered himself to clean up the Uchiha compound. Admittedly, if there was one substance in the entire village that could absorb any and all bloodstains, it was Gaara's sand. Still, he didn't have to seem so eager about it. It wasn't as if anyone else wanted the mission, which had been bumped up to C-rank simply because there was so much blood, it was thought that most genin would be unable to stomach it. 

It would have been a simple (not to mention much faster) matter for Gaara to simply spread his sand everywhere and literally sandblast the whole area at once. Instead, he was taking his time, scrubbing out each stain individually, and breaking down each piece of ruined furniture. Some areas were so bloody that it probably would've been easier to just destroy them entirely, but Gaara's chief concern was picking up all of the blood.

Though she probably could have left him alone to clean up the mess, Anko assumed that was a bad idea. If Gaara was this excited around blood when someone was watching him, she didn't even want to think about what he'd be like if left alone with it. And it was rare that anyone was too bloodthirsty for Anko's tastes.

It was nearly midnight by the time Gaara finished, and Anko was tired just from watching him all day. But Gaara seemed to have energy to spare, which was probably a side effect of all the blood. Then again, she guessed that even insomniacs needed wet dream material, and if Gaara's was blood, well, he'd made the right career choice.

They had nearly reached the apartment when Gaara asked a question.

"Does all marriage end in death?"

That was a stumper, but nearly every question was with Gaara, because if you used even one wrong word, he'd somehow turn it into a justification for killing everything in sight the next time he went out. Granted, most of the people Gaara dealt with were meant to end up dead, but it wasn't always a requirement, though you'd never know it from his body count.

"Pretty much everything ends in death eventually, Gaara," Anko replied. "It's death. It's supposed to end things. But you can end a marriage without dying as a result."

Gaara frowned. "Hinata is going to marry Sasuke. Will she die?"

"If she can put up with him, it'll probably make her strong enough to fend off anything. I don't think you need to worry about her dying any time soon."

"I'm not worried. I'm trying to understand." He was silent for a few seconds. "Would Kakashi die if you married him?"

Anko couldn't help it, she laughed. "Yeah, but he'd do that if I didn't marry him, too."

"So why don't you?"

She blinked and looked down at Gaara. He was staring straight ahead as usual, and she had to assume he was serious, since Gaara did not make jokes intentionally. "You want me to?"

"No. I'm merely asking why you don't. I want to understand the justification behind getting married, and not getting married."

"Well, in our case, it's strictly a matter of choice. I guess we COULD, but it'd probably never occur to either of us. Anyway, it's tough to be married when you're an active ninja. Either you get rusty in the field, or you get rusty at being married, neither of which is good for your health. Besides, no girl in her right mind would marry Kakashi. She'd have to take his books away, and no one's managed to do that."

Gaara didn't look convinced, and proved it with his next statement. "If he was ever going to marry anyone, it would be you. He may not have put down his books, but he hasn't tried to move out, either."

Anko hated walking and talking with Gaara at the same time, because he always said something that nearly made her trip over her own feet. And damn if he wasn't right about Kakashi. The man was late absolutely everywhere he went… but he came home every night he was in the village. Even stuck up, sensible Kurenai couldn't say that about her man (of course, she had to first admit that he actually WAS her man…), nor could most women Anko knew. Many ninja stayed unattached to make their jobs easier, but Anko couldn't imagine a woman dulling Kakashi's skills. Then again, he had to stay on his toes, living with her. No wonder he was still the best.

It gave Anko quite a bit to think about in the short walk that remained.

When they did get home, they found Kakashi spread out the couch, looking just as beaten and saggy as one of his namesakes. He waved in their general direction, but gave no sign that he was about to get up for anything.

For some reason, Anko grinned, hopped over the couch, and landed neatly in his lap.

Kakashi grunted and opened his visible eye. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it… or, if I was supposed to do it, I'll get to it later. I spent all day trying to track Itachi, and I don't care what anyone says, if he's crazy, he's crazy like a fox, because he doesn't leave any damn tracks, and why are you looking at me like that?"

"Let's get married, babe!" Anko chirped, her grin widening.

"Why, is it 'Couples Eat Free Night' at the Dango Ditch already?" he asked.

"No! I just wanna get married!"

Kakashi stared at her. "Is one of us drunk?"

Anko frowned and leaned closer, sniffing at his mask. "Don't think so."

"You don't look like you took a blow to the head… I guess you are serious."

"I'll help you out," Anko replied sweetly as a kunai slid out of her sleeve and into her hand. "Say yes or I'll stab you."

"I've been stabbed before," Kakashi felt the need to point out.

Anko arched an eyebrow. "Did you like it?"

"Not particularly."

"Well, there you go."

"So… I say no, you stab me?"

"Yeah."

"I say yes, and… we go consummate the marriage right now?" Kakashi asked hopefully.

Anko smirked at him. "Thought you were tired from tracking the weasel?"

"Well, he wasn't offering to put out."

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that, Scare Bear."

"Yeah, me too." Kakashi dug into his pocket and came up with two simple, matching gold rings.

Anko's eyes widened in shock. "How long have you had those?"

"All that matters is I have them now, when I need them," he answered, slipping one ring onto her finger.

Anko was still staring in disbelief as she placed the remaining ring on him.

Kakashi's eye crinkled happily. "Now can we go have married sex? Or at least engaged sex?"

"Hell no. Bachelor party night sex!"

"Only if you wear the gag this time. People hear screams tonight, they might think Itachi came back."

Gaara was used to being overlooked, so he didn't really care when Anko and Kakashi rushed off to the latter's bedroom. He probably understood less about marriage now than he had at the start, which was always a risk when posing a question to Anko. But the idea that Kakashi and Anko had even more reason to stay together now made him feel… better, somehow.

That settled, Gaara's thoughts turned back to Hinata and Sasuke. He felt as if he should do something for them. Hinata had provided valuable advice and prevented him from making a mistake that would have endangered his eventually joining ANBU. Sasuke hadn't done anything for him directly, but the massacre had allowed Gaara to collect plenty of powerful blood, and most of the property he'd gotten it from would undoubtedly belong to Sasuke soon enough. Gaara wasn't sure what either of them might want from him, however, so he made a mental note to find out. It was the least he could do for his… friends.

**End of Chapter 4.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto steals a summoning scroll. Gaara has an encounter of the pink-haired kind. 

Endnotes:

Eh heh heh. I don't know where that last scene came from, I totally didn't plan for it.


	5. Talking with the Animals

Notes: I didn't realize how many people had it in for Sakura. I don't hate her, but there are things about her I don't like (then again, I feel that way about Sasuke, too). But when I don't like somebody, I don't write them off as a lost cause. I simply give them a rather forceful poke and make them change for the better (or what's better in my biased opinion). So if Sakura seems odd in this chapter, it's not because she's not being herself, it's because she's actually a little open-minded (GASP! OOC ALERT!) and not completely obsessed at this point. Best to kick bad habits early, and there's nothing worse than pining after a man that don't want you.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 5: Talking with the Animals**

* * *

_1 Year, 8 Months in Suna - July_

If all the scrolls Naruto had studied were to be believed, the hosts of Shukaku could never sleep peacefully.

After a month of Kyuubi's lessons, Naruto was starting to understand just why it was a bad idea to sleep with a demon inside of you. For some reason, their agreement was apparently very much a binding contract. Naruto suddenly found that Kyuubi's control over his body had increased noticeably. For the most part, the fox limited himself to speaking while Naruto was awake. But the instant the boy fell asleep, his body essentially became Kyuubi's plaything.

Thankfully, Kyuubi spent most of the time training "their" body. The good news was that this meant Naruto usually only had to put in half the effort to learn something new; often he would find he'd mastered a skill in his sleep. The bad news was that while Naruto's mind was sleeping, his body wasn't, so the decrease in time spent learning a new jutsu came at the cost of an increase in fatigue. Of course, Kyuubi claimed that constantly pushing the body to its limits was the best way to reach beyond them, but then he wasn't the one that had to drag it everywhere during the day.

The very first thing that Kyuubi had taught Naruto was how to create Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clones). It had sounded a little suspicious from the start, but the conversation in which Kyuubi explained it had been short and to the point.

"Look, brat, you've heard the phrase 'know your enemy,' right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"I came up with it."

"You did not!"

"Maybe not, but I've never come across an enemy I didn't already know something about, and I'm damn sure not about to let you walk around stupid AND uninformed. So you're going to learn this forbidden jutsu, and then you're going to stop asking questions, or I'm going to make you use your own chakra for this and see how close to death you get."

"One last question, though."

"You are so lucky I can't bite you right now, kid."

"Where DID you learn this?"

"From a Leaf-nin, right before I stepped on him. All five of him."

"Oh."

Naruto had to admit that the clones were incredibly useful, though. He just wished that they could do all of his training instead of him. But Kyuubi had made it quite clear that while the clones could learn many things for him, they only passed knowledge back to the original body. Which meant Naruto had to do all the physical training himself. But that made sense, since the clones could only take so much damage before they were destroyed.

However, Kyuubi wouldn't let Naruto get too dependent on the clones. Once he'd used them to map out all of Suna in their head, they would go for long runs through the village at night. This was crazy and dangerous for several reasons. First, the temperature plummeted at night, and often Naruto wore nothing more than a light shirt and pants, using the fox's chakra to stay warm. Second, it wasn't a good idea for anyone to just go running around without the proper clearance, so that attracted plenty of unwanted attention from the guard patrols. Third, it was impossible to be sneaky when you were blazing with enough chakra to be a small sun, so most of the time was actually spent trying to lose the guards after they'd spotted him.

The amazing thing was that not only did Naruto avoid capture each and every time, but no one forced him to stop these nightly adventures, even though he was the obvious culprit. Any guard that had gotten outsmarted or flattened by a kid was either too smart or too ashamed to say so.

Occasionally, Kyuubi would give Naruto the night off and do the nightly run himself. It was after one of those that Naruto woke up in his bed to find a scroll nearly as tall as he was clutched tightly in his hands. Only a glance was needed to confirm that this was one of those scrolls a person would get into a great deal of trouble for stealing.

"Kyuubi! You made me steal a top secret scroll!" the boy wailed.

The fox chuckled inside his head. "No, I stole a top secret scroll. There's a difference, if only to you and me. Now open it up so we can get started. The quicker you do what needs to be done, the quicker we can put it back without anyone noticing that it's gone. Believe me, this was pretty dusty when I found it, so nobody's handled it for a long time."

Naruto quickly obeyed, breaking the seal on the scroll and unrolling it across the bed. It seemed to be little more than a series of signatures and fingerprints, all belonging to people he'd never heard of.

"Look for an empty space, then sign your name in blood, and don't forget the fingerprints, too," Kyuubi instructed.

"Mind telling me what this is?" Naruto asked as he bit his thumb.

"A summoning contract. Think of it as a teaching agreement. You sign this, you get yourself someone who can train you on how to best use your wind affinity."

"Sounds easy enough," Naruto murmured, carefully printing his name in blood, and ending with his fingerprints. "Now what?"

"Copy the seals I give you, and summon up… about enough chakra to coat your arm. That should be enough. Then place your hand flat against the ground."

Naruto didn't bother to ask what the jutsu would do, since he was about to find out, anyway. He did as Kyuubi told him, and was more than a little surprised when, with a small puff of smoke, a black weasel appeared in front of him. Unfortunately, Naruto had never seen a weasel before, so his first instinct was a little harsh.

"RAT!" he screamed, snatching up his pillow and throwing it.

The weasel, looking deeply offended, sighed, and vanished.

The pillow, for some unknown reason, hit the bed in two equal halves, and Naruto instantly felt something very sharp pressed against his throat.

"First," said a voice in his ear, "I am not a rat, though I have been known to eat them on occasion. I am a weasel, and you cannot imagine how disrespectful it is for you to mistake me as one of my secondary food sources. If you expect to have anything to do with weasels in the future, I suggest you rid yourself of any other misconceptions right now."

"You're not a rat," Naruto agreed readily.

"Thank you," the weasel responded dryly. It vanished again and reappeared on the bed. "My presence here indicates that you wish to secure the services of a weasel and/or weasels. Is this correct?"

Naruto blinked slowly. "Um, I wanted to learn some wind jutsu, and I thought-"

"I see," the weasel sighed. "For future reference, my name is Tenchi, and I will be your default summon until a suitable partner can be assigned to you. Of course, I don't think either of us wants this to last long, so if you'll let me go now, I'll talk to my superior, and with any luck, you'll have your new partner by nightfall."

"Well, hold on!" Naruto protested. "Can't you teach me? I don't know what you did to my pillow, but that was pretty cool!"

Tenchi shook his head. "If you're that easily impressed, I probably could teach you a few things. But I simply don't have the time, nor is it my responsibility. My job is to find you and every other weasel summoner a partner they can achieve the most glorious of battle conditions with. So you see, if I were to teach you, not only would I get fired, but you would be stuck with a weasel who was ill-suited for actual battle. I know a few things about battle, but nothing every other weasel wouldn't know. You need a specialized weasel, one experienced in wind jutsu. Fortunately, I happen to know of a sickle weasel squad that has been waiting for a summoner. They are young, but very strong; too strong, in fact, for the average summoner. But I think you should be perfect for them. How does that sound?"

"What's a sickle weasel?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

"That's what you need. They're expert wind manipulators. You couldn't find a better teacher if you tried."

"So how do I get one of those?"

"You dismiss me so I can get to work," Tenchi reminded him with what appeared to be a frown.

Naruto blinked. "Oh. Um… you can go, I guess." He frowned as Tenchi burst into smoke, leaving no other sign that he'd been there, save for the split pillow. "That was weird."

"True," Kyuubi agreed. "But soon you'll have a proper teacher, and more wind jutsu than you'll know what to do with, so don't complain. Weasels are annoyingly organized, but that just ensures that you'll get a thorough understanding of whatever knowledge they share with you. Plus they love to hear themselves talk, so most of them don't mind repeating themselves."

"Tenchi sure seemed to."

"Well, you heard him: his job is just to find you a teacher. He probably only gets credit for each summoner he matches with a weasel, so he didn't have time to waste with you, did he? Anyway, talking to you for any amount of time can be pretty frustrating."

"You know, you're not exactly easy to talk to, either," Naruto snapped.

"I wouldn't be a greater demon if just anyone could say whatever they wanted to me, brat. And watch your tone, or I'll have you run an extra lap around the village tonight."

* * *

_1 Year, 8 Months in Konoha - July_

Haruno Sakura, despite her best intentions, was something of a pest. In her defense, though, you can't spell "persistence" without "pest."

So it would be fair to say that Sakura persistently maintained a friendship with Yamanka Ino, purposely pursuing similar interests even when she found a few to be particularly boring or useless. Anyway, being Ino's friend was far less tiring than being her enemy.

She also persistently entertained thoughts of a whirlwind romance with Uchiha Sasuke, if only because he didn't seem the type to settle down, and because it was a normal dream for every other girl her age. Interestingly, very few of these girls were discouraged by the fact that Sasuke was already attached, rather officially, to Hyuuga Hinata. Personally, Sakura thought Hinata was nice enough, but a bit too nice to have any real hope of keeping someone like Sasuke for very long.

It was both of these hobbies that eventually brought her into contact with Sabaku no Gaara.

First, Shikamaru had mysteriously turned up in the hospital after an encounter with what Ino insisted on calling a "sand freak," whatever that was. It was only after some research (and a somewhat odd conversation with Hinata, who happened to witness the whole incident) that Sakura learned the sand freak's true identity. Shikamaru was willing to put the whole thing behind him (a smart move, since he got hurt worse), but Ino remained livid that Gaara had gotten away with defacing her beautiful skin, and worse, didn't seem all that sorry about it.

Second, Sakura had been on her way to deliver a birthday present for Sasuke when she happened to spot a redhead leaving Ichiraku Ramen, and almost immediately recognized him as the same Gaara (not that there had ever been another, thank goodness).

Now, Sakura was not stupid or insane.

She realized, for example, that one Uzumaki Naruto had vanished from Konoha about the same time as Gaara had first appeared. Probably the only reason she knew this was because Aburame Shino had actually said it (and he NEVER talked, so when he did, it was treated as a rare honor by anyone in earshot). Afterwards, Sakura had been a little ashamed: she'd caught Naruto staring at her so many times that she should have noticed at once when he wasn't there to do it anymore, but she'd probably been too relieved at the time to think much on it.

Sakura also remembered something Inuzuka Kiba had said about Gaara. Kiba had never actually met Gaara, and the reason for that was because Kiba made a habit of not meeting people who always, always smelled of blood. Kiba may have been a little weird, but his nose didn't lie. If he smelled blood on Gaara all of the time, then Gaara had blood on his person ALL OF THE TIME. Needless to say, that had been enough for Sakura to quickly adopt Kiba's policy of never meeting Gaara if she could help it.

Even more worrisome was a fact that Shikamaru had conveniently left out the first time he told her of the incident. He only remembered later because Sakura kept pestering him (see, it is useful sometimes) about it. But the fact that ANBU was following Gaara around was not only cause for concern, it was downright scary. ANBU only dealt with the worst threats, and aside from that, Gaara didn't appear to be concerned about their constant presence at all.

Rumors had of course sprung up. Some people seemed to think that Naruto was dead, and that maybe Gaara had killed him. Others insisted that Naruto's remains were inside the gourd Gaara carried everywhere. Even odder, Sakura got the feeling that many people were happy about either possibility. She hadn't liked Naruto at all, but she didn't think he deserved to DIE for that. But she probably felt that way more because the same fate might have fallen upon Ino, had Hinata not stepped in.

All of these things told Sakura that going near Gaara was not a good idea. But, well, Ino was her best friend, and if she heard that Sakura had seen Gaara and not said something, they'd probably end up fighting for a week at least. Anyway, you couldn't just treat people the way Gaara had Ino and Shikamaru. Sakura was fairly confident that ANBU would intervene if Gaara did anything dangerous; that had to be why they were there in the first place, since Gaara was more than capable of protecting himself.

In other words, Sakura ignored every instinct that screamed at her to stay away, and quickly caught up with Gaara, since he was walking fairly slowly, obviously not caring that he was doing so.

It didn't take long for Gaara to notice her: she had pink hair, she was right next to him, and she was staring directly at him. For his part, he came to a stop, and turned slightly so that he was looking directly at her.

Neither spoke for several moments, and Sakura realized that she would have to be the one to initiate the conversation. But before she could, Gaara surprised her.

"I admire your hair color. It suits you."

To this obvious but flatly delivered compliment, Sakura had no immediate response. The only thing that she could figure was that Gaara simply liked any hair color close to his own: red. In that case, he was more stating his own preference than actually complimenting her, or at least that's what Sakura's mind told her so she could go directly into her inquiry of indignation without feeling silly.

"Why did you attack Ino and Shikamaru?" she demanded.

Gaara blinked at her. "You are mistaken. I only attacked the Yamanaka. The Nara chose to interfere on her behalf, and merely stepped into an attack meant for her." He paused, tilting his head slightly. "I have yet to determine why, though…"

Sakura glared at him. "But WHY did you do it?"

"I made a mistake, promptly apologized, and then attempted to leave to avoid any further trouble. The Yamanaka decided to prolong the encounter by shouting, and then she touched me. I do not enjoy being touched by people I am not familiar with." Gaara stared directly into her eyes. "For example, if you were to touch me now, you would receive even worse treatment, simply because I have just warned you of the consequences. If you choose not to heed my warning, then you deserve anything that happens to you as a result. The Nara obviously understood this without my having to tell him. He simply should have gone to greater lengths to convince the Yamanaka of this as well, though I do not blame him, and I hope that he recovers, if only so he can keep her out of similar incidents in the future."

Sakura found she could only stare at him. To her surprise, Gaara didn't seem all that unreasonable, now that she was speaking with him. There were plenty of people who didn't like to be touched by strangers, and you could hardly blame a ninja (or a future one, anyway) for reacting badly. He admitted to only aiming for Ino, so of course Shikamaru had saved her. He even seemed to regret hurting Shikamaru, though Sakura could tell that Gaara was not going to offer a second apology, at least not to Ino. Nor would he be visiting Shikamaru to discuss things, since there was a chance that Ino might turn up. No, Gaara was just going to leave things as they were, and Sakura was forced to agree that it was for the best. She still didn't have to like it, however.

They were suddenly interrupted by the last person that Sakura expected to see, but she could not bring herself to be unhappy about it.

"Oi, Gaara," Uchiha Sasuke called as he walked up, eyeing Sakura warily. "Is she bothering you?"

Sakura bristled at that, but clamped her lips together to keep from saying anything.

"No," Gaara replied after a few seconds, as if he had to think about it. "She merely asked me to explain something to her."

Sasuke looked surprised at that, and Sakura couldn't help flushing with pride. He was obviously surprised that anyone would have to explain something to Sakura, because he thought she was so smart already. On the other hand, she realized a second later, someone DID have to explain something to her, so this was not something to be proud of, exactly.

"Oh. Well, we'd better get going," Sasuke said evenly, still keeping one eye on Sakura, almost as if he didn't trust her not to launch herself at him the moment Gaara left. "Hinata said we should show up a little early."

Gaara nodded before turning back to Sakura. "I suspect you are wiser than the Yamanaka, and definitely more patient. If you have any contact with the Nara, please inform him that I have no quarrel with him."

Sasuke smirked for some reason, then turned to leave with Gaara falling in step beside him.

"Um… Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried desperately, suddenly recalling why she'd been looking for him in the first place. "Wait, please!"

To her amazement, Sasuke continued walking for a few more steps before coming to a stop (that was the amazing part, that he actually stopped). "What is it, Sakura?" he sighed, managing to sound only slightly annoyed.

"I, um… got you something. For… your birthday," she murmured, whipping out a small, carefully sealed box.

Sasuke turned around, still looking guarded. "Is it something that will embarrass me if I open it at a party?"

"I don't think so," Sakura replied, feeling very nervous. At least, she thought a brand new kunai with the words "Do Your Best!" printed on one side was rather inspirational, which was just what she'd been going for.

"You can take it to the Hyuuga compound," Sasuke stated coolly. "That's where all my other gifts are going. That's where the private party is going to be. That's where Hinata will personally scan each and every gift, to make sure there is nothing inappropriate mixed in with the proper ones."

Sakura got the hint; she wasn't invited. She wasn't about to embarrass herself by asking him to change his mind, either.

Sasuke must have read her mind, because he added, "It's private because Hinata's father is making the arrangements. Otherwise, I'm certain Hinata would have invited you. Gaara is the only guest I was encouraged to bring along."

Was Sasuke… being nice to her? He certainly didn't have to explain himself, and never had before. Sakura had a suspicion that Hinata was behind this more considerate Sasuke, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. But why was Gaara going?

Sakura decided to test her luck a little. "Um, Gaara-san," she said politely, trying to sound totally innocent, "have you ever met a boy named Uzumaki Naruto?"

Sasuke blinked. Gaara did not.

"Once, and only once," Gaara answered, his steady tone betraying nothing.

"Do you know where he is now?"

"Yes. He went to a place where the majority of the people present didn't hate him."

Sakura froze. She knew a lot of parents didn't like their kids playing with Naruto, but that so many people supposedly hated him was news to her. "Where?"

Gaara smiled, Sakura could tell at once that it was an alien expression for his face. "To a place where the majority of the people present hated me instead." He reached out and took the Sasuke's gift from her, tucking it under one arm. "In my old village, there were only two people I would consider sparing, if I ever went back to destroy it. I wonder if Naruto could say the same about this place. I also wonder if you would be one of his two people."

Sakura wasn't sure what scared her more: that both Gaara and Naruto apparently had enough power to destroy a village, or that she might not be on Naruto's list of people to spare. As far as she knew, Naruto had already selected two other people: the girl at the ramen stand had always been happy to see him, and Kiba had admitted to sneaking Naruto food a couple of times when he'd had trouble getting it on his own. When Sakura had asked why Kiba had never said anything, he'd just given her a funny look and asked, "Would you go around telling everybody if you didn't know where your next meal was coming from?" Even more troubling was the fact that begging would only have earned Naruto more scorn than usual. It made Sakura glad he was gone: maybe they were treating him better in Gaara's village. They almost had to be, since it couldn't really get any worse.

Sasuke cleared his throat abruptly. "We really need to go, Sakura."

She blinked. "Oh. Right. Um, have a good time at your party, Sasuke-kun."

He stared at her incredulously, as if he'd never heard anything more ridiculous. Sakura soon realized why: Sasuke was going to be surrounded by Hyuuga, some of the stuffiest people alive. Of course he wasn't going to have a good time; he'd rather be out training. It was a little late to take it back now, though.

"She's in love with you, you know," Gaara stated.

Sasuke and Sakura both looked at him with horrified expressions.

Gaara was indifferent. "It was rather obvious."

Sasuke recovered first. "Sakura, could I speak you with privately for a moment?" he asked, shooting Gaara a dark look that was completely ignored.

She nodded more out of habit than anything else. It wasn't as if anyone ever said no to Sasuke, after all.

They moved a few feet away from Gaara, who was amusing himself by staring closely at Sakura's gift.

"You do realize that I'm going to marry Hinata as soon as possible, don't you?" Sasuke pointed out at once.

Sakura winced. "I… well, that's not…"

"It's a fact, Sakura. I'm not going to date. I'm not going to sleep around. I'm going to marry Hinata. I honestly can't afford to do anything else at this point."

"Oh," Sakura replied weakly.

Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "You were always one of the smarter ones. I didn't think I had to explain this to you, even if you're not from a noble clan."

"That's the only reason you chose her?" Sakura asked a little desperately.

"No, but it's the main one. And before you ask, yes, it is reason enough. No, I won't change my mind."

"So… I never had a chance, did I?" Sakura whispered softly.

Sasuke scowled at her. "Do you really want me to answer that, Sakura?"

"I guess not."

"If it's any comfort, none of the other girls you see chasing me ever stood a chance, either."

It really wasn't, but Sasuke was trying to be nice again, so Sakura managed a very weak smile. "I see."

"So I expect you'll withdraw from the academy in the next few days."

The smile slipped, and Sakura felt as if she'd just been slapped. "What?"

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets, clearly wanting to get this over with quickly. "Everyone knows you only enrolled so you could impress me and become my girlfriend. Now that you know there's no chance of either, you can stop wasting my time and yours. You won't make it very far as a ninja, and I would rather not have another death on my conscience."

Any other time, Sakura might have thought that Sasuke was trying to protect her, and loved him all the more for it. But the boy she liked had just told her that she never had any hope of being with him, and now, more than anything else, it seemed like he was trying to separate her from all of her friends. If she took his advice, her life would seem so empty. No more practicing genjutsu with Ino. No more comparing notes with Shino. Hell, she'd probably even miss hanging out with Kiba at some point.

"No," Sakura said sharply, "I won't quit!"

Sasuke just stared at her.

"You listen to me, Uchiha Sasuke! Maybe I joined the academy for the wrong reasons, but I'm not going to quit just because you told me to! I do so have talent, and I'm going to prove it by becoming a kunoichi! I'll be the best kunoichi that you've ever seen, because my world does NOT revolve around you!"

This seemed to be exactly what Sasuke was waiting for. With a small grin, he simply walked off, leaving Sakura more furious than ever. She whirled around and stomped away. The thought of taking back her gift crossed her mind, but Sakura wasn't so angry that trying to rip anything out of Gaara's hands seemed like a good idea.

So she wasn't there when Gaara turned to Sasuke and commented, "It would seem Hinata was right about her."

Sasuke nodded. "So she was. 'Be cruel to be kind.' I'll have to remember that. With any luck, I can reduce my fan club by half before we even get to the party."

* * *

Hyuuga Neji scowled as he watched his cousins slowly walk through Hinata's personal garden. It was not something he made a habit of, but just this once, he was compelled to actually speak to the current Hyuuga heiress, if for no other reason than to confirm a theory of his.

He watched as Hinata sat down to inspect her flowers. Rather typically, Hanabi quickly lost interest and fell asleep with her head in her older sister's lap. The only sign that Hinata even noticed was that she would occasionally stroke her sister's hair tenderly as she continued her inspection.

Neji saw this affection for what it really was, though. When Hanabi was named the heiress, she would remember her sister fondly, even if Hinata were already a member of the Branch House by that time. It was not unheard of for former siblings of the Main House to show favor to each other. Hinata would probably become one of Hanabi's attendants so that they could remain close without it being called into question by the elders and the clan head. It was also the most dignified role Hinata could hope for, at least until she was permitted to marry Uchiha Sasuke.

Fixing his face so that it was largely impassive, Neji quietly approached the two girls, even though he knew Hinata would sense him easily enough. Recognizing the chakra signatures of immediate family was something of a Hyuuga tradition, and for whatever reason, Hinata had included him in that. Perhaps she just wanted to know when the next verbal attack was coming.

"Good afternoon, Neji nii-san," Hinata said softly, her eyes still on the flowers. "If you intend to speak to me, I must ask that you keep your voice down. Hanabi-chan has had a great deal of trouble sleeping lately, and it would not do to disturb her."

Neji glanced at his youngest cousin's sleeping face only briefly, but knew he would have to respect Hinata's wishes. Hanabi had proven to be a very sensitive child already. She did not care for loud noises unless she was making them, frequently suffered from headaches, and possessed what other Hyuuga called "sixth and seventh senses" that seemed to include both clairvoyance and telepathy (at least, she seemed to know the minds of others without using her Byakugan). For example, she knew enough to wail whenever Neji got within ten feet of her as an infant. Even now, she did not like being around him, possibly because she knew how he treated Hinata.

"It is, of course, not my wish to disturb Hanabi-sama," Neji replied after a moment. "However, I feel I must ask you something about your choice of associates, Hinata-sama."

Strangely, Hinata smiled. "Gaara-san is a friend, not an associate. What would you like to know about him?"

"You are aware of exactly what he is, aren't you?"

"A human being with a demon sealed inside of him."

Neji frowned. "And this does not concern you?"

Hinata closed her eyes. "In his village of origin, Gaara-san was known to slaughter people without hesitation or good reason. Yet he has shown me more patience than my own father. Whatever you believe about demons, Neji nii-san, it has been my experience that humans are infinitely worse."

"You truly believe that?"

"Humans use demons as an excuse for hatred. But I am sure you realize that only one of this village's tragedies had anything to do with a demon. The rest were carried out entirely by humans. Or have you forgotten that missing-nin like Itachi and Orochimaru are still people, no matter how demonic they might appear to be? Frankly, I'm surprised you don't share my views."

Neji sensed he wouldn't like the answer, but he asked anyway. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Hinata looked at him for the first time, her eyes conveying nothing but sadness. "Demons weren't the ones who stole your father from us, Neji nii-san."

Neji swallowed hard, doing his best to ignore the prickly sensation behind his eyes. He wanted to hate Hinata for even mentioning that, but he could not. The one time he had seen Hinata willingly ignore everything it meant to be a Hyuuga was when she had thrown herself over his father's corpse, sobbing as if her heart were broken. The truly odd thing to Neji was that she had been composed upon seeing the body, but when she learned that they would be surrendering it to enemy forces, Hinata had become inconsolable. Neji thought he understood this behavior now. It was one thing to be able to visit a loved one's grave. It was quite another to know that their body would be torn apart in search of secrets. To this day, there was no grave marker for Hyuuga Hizashi anywhere in the compound, as most were convinced that it would have been in bad taste to even pretend his body had ever been buried.

"Gaara-san said something to me the other day," Hinata murmured. "It was both obvious and profound at the same time. Would you like to hear it?"

Neji said nothing, figuring Hinata would tell him either way.

"He said that if you grow powerful enough, some rules just stop applying to you. I had always known that, of course, but the way Gaara-san said it… I truly believed he was challenging me to do that."

Neji could not stop the smirk that appeared on his face, but he forced it away just before Hinata looked at him. "Well, I imagine it is easy for him to say that, Hinata-sama. He was no doubt speaking from personal experience. We Hyuuga cannot afford to be so… hopelessly optimistic as to believe that we can defy the laws of this village, or even this clan."

"No, I suppose not," Hinata sighed. "But sometimes, I think it would be nice if we could afford to. Don't you, Neji nii-san?"

"No," he replied firmly.

She only smiled sadly, because she could tell that he was lying, even without activating her Byakugan. "Could you excuse me for a moment, Neji nii-san? I suddenly find myself in the mood to be alone with my thoughts."

"As you wish, Hinata-sama." Neji walked away without another word.

Hinata sighed and watched him go for a few seconds, before turning back to her garden. She admired the different colors in silence: the pale lavender, the shining silver, and the newest addition, a small patch of brilliant orange that immediately captured the eyes. Lowering her head, Hinata closed her eyes and wished with all the strength of her heart.

"Okaa-san… Hizashi oji-san… and you, too, Naruto-kun… I hope you all find peace, wherever you are."

Hinata was not aware of it, but halfway through her quiet plea, Hanabi had opened her eyes, and was now gazing directly at the lavender flowers, the very same ones that Hinata had planted shortly after their mother's death. With deliberate slowness, the three year old sat up and carefully seized one of the flowers, studying it intently. Apparently satisfied, she then released it and returned her head to Hinata's lap, where she quickly fell asleep again.

**End of Chapter 5.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto meets his weasel, and gets spied on. Gaara parties with the Hyuuga. Neji learns to avoid heart-to-heart chats with Hiashi.

Endnotes:

Yes, I said weasels. No, I haven't forgotten that Temari summons a weasel. Yes, Naruto is learning to summon VERY early, all things considered. But keep in mind that between Kyuubi's temporary takeovers, Kage Bunshin doing most of the work, and the fact that weasels are fairly small animals, Naruto could probably master summoning them inside a day if he absolutely had to. He doesn't, though, but they are going to be essential to expanding not only his knowledge of wind jutsu, but the way he fights overall, so it's best that he's exposed to them early.

In my opinion, Sakura keeps chasing Sasuke early on because even though he constantly shoots her down, he never does anything that is damaging enough to discourage her efforts. By the time he DOES, however, she's already been after him so long that it's a way of life for her, and the bad things he does have little or no effect on her perception of him. But if Sasuke had taken her aside when they were young, and point-blank said something along the lines of, "You're ugly, I hate you, you'll never amount to anything, now stop following me around," maybe that would have done it. Children can be cruel, but Uchiha… well, they're just good at it.

I don't think anyone ever talks about the relationship between Hinata and Hizashi. Obviously he wasn't terribly fond of her, but he was still her uncle, yet Hinata never says anything that suggests her feelings about him. But from how she feels about Neji, I would guess she at least would mourn his father's passing, especially if she knew what awaited his body (in the anime, Hanabi acted as if she'd never known about it, so the clan or Hiashi probably didn't tell her and Hinata the truth). From all indications, Hizashi was a much more loving father than Hiashi ever was, and maybe that is what Hinata would truly mourn: a Hyuuga that chose to openly express love.


	6. I Like to Party All the Time

Notes: A common complaint I've been getting is that things in Konoha are better without Naruto around. My response to that is that you're partially right: a village where an innocent boy is no longer severely mistreated is definitely a much better place compared to when he was. Seriously, most of the village believes Naruto is dead, which is what they've wanted all along. As for the people who did care about Naruto, what can they do now that they think he's dead as well? The few that do know the truth can't march into Suna and bring him back (not that he would return willingly, nor would the Kazekage let him go). So yes, Konoha IS a better place with Naruto gone, but only in that is presence isn't bringing out the truly ugly sides of the people anymore (and that he isn't suffering there). But since you're all so convinced that someone should be deeply affected by Naruto being gone, in this chapter, someone is, but perhaps not in the way you were expecting.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 6: I Like to Party All the Time**

* * *

_1 Year, 8 Months in Suna - July_

Exactly twenty-four hours after he'd first summoned a weasel, Naruto gave it another try. This time, however, Tenchi was nowhere to be found. Instead, when the smoke cleared, Naruto found himself staring down at a weasel with white fur, wearing a blue bandana around its neck with the Sand symbol displayed on the front. His first impression was that it looked much friendlier than Tenchi, and he was soon proven right when the weasel vanished, just like Tenchi had, and reappeared on Naruto's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek with its soft fur.

"So you're my new kid, huh?" the weasel asked in a decidedly feminine voice. "Name's Megami, friends call me Meg, nice to meet you!"

"Um, I'm Naruto," he replied, doing his best not to laugh, for fear that she might take it the wrong way.

"Sounds great!" Megami chirped (Naruto wasn't aware that weasels COULD chirp, so this threw him for a second), bouncing on his shoulder a little. "Okay, I'm gonna be teaching you all about wind jutsu, so the first thing you'll need to know is how to fly."

Naruto tried to be a good sport about this, but after a few seconds he simply had to ask, "What?"

Megami grinned at him. "Oh, so you're one of those people who think you can't fly? Well, I bet there's also plenty of people who think weasels can't talk, and they're wrong, aren't they?"

"It's a little hard to wrap my mind around," Naruto admitted. "I mean, I've been walking all this time, so…"

"And running, and jumping, and I bet you can do those pretty well, to the point where you can jump pretty high. It's not too different from that in the end, except you stay up longer and have more control over where you go. And if you're worried about falling, stop it. I happen to be an expert at this sort of thing, and I wouldn't let my brand new buddy fall!"

Naruto felt a surge of affection for the weasel that was odd, only in that he almost never felt that way about anyone, save for Temari, the Sandaime Hokage, Ayame from the ramen stand, and her father. And out of all of those, Ayame was the only one he had immediately felt completely comfortable around.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Naruto looked up to find Temari staring at him, her eyes wide.

"Um… Naruto, did you know there's a-"

"Weasel," Naruto supplied quickly, sensing that Temari was about to make the same mistake he had. "Meg is a weasel."

Temari blinked. "You call her… Meg?"

"Well, why not?" Naruto demanded. "It's her name! Go on, ask her!"

"Don't force her, some people aren't comfortable with it," Megami warned him.

Temari's eyes bulged. "She talked!"

Naruto shook his head. "How do you think I found out what her name was?"

"But… but!"

Megami leaned close to Naruto's ear. "Ask her to pet your weasel, and try to sound really serious. That always works."

Naruto glanced at her, but Megami only nodded, so he looked Temari straight in the eyes and said, "Temari, I think you need to pet my weasel."

Temari's lips twitched, and a second later she was laughing out loud.

Naruto stared at her, not sure what had just happened, but he was starting to feel a lot less awkward about the situation. "How did you do that?" he whispered to Megami.

"You've heard of a people person? I'm a people weasel, I just know these things," she replied, a bit smugly. "Stick with me, buddy, and you'll never have another girl mad at you for very long."

"You know, I think I will pet your weasel," Temari snickered, holding out her hand.

Megami nodded again, so Naruto carefully removed her from his shoulder and placed her on Temari's arm.

"So where'd you find her?" Temari asked, gently stroking the weasel's back.

"Um… outside?" Naruto muttered. Technically, the scroll had been in a locked storage room, but that room HAD been outside of the bedroom they were currently standing in…

"Huh. I've never seen any weasels around here…"

"I just got lucky, that's all!" Naruto insisted. Normally, he wouldn't have lied to Temari about anything, but he didn't want her to have to lie to protect him. She'd probably get in enough trouble for allowing him to steal in the first place… at least, that's how the Kazekage would see it.

"Well, you better take good care of her. Don't forget to feed her, and don't lose her," Temari warned him as she handed Megami back.

"I'm sure she wouldn't let me," Naruto replied confidently as Megami curled her body around his neck.

* * *

A very common misconception was that active ANBU represented the most deadly ninja in Konoha's military forces. This, however, was only half true. A lethal ninja is only as effective as his ability to perform an assigned task without detection. Ironically, because of their masks and uniforms, ANBU were some of the most widely recognized ninja in existence, and anyone who didn't have the sense to avoid them entirely, or at least have sufficient reinforcements when engaging them, deserved to die.

It is, however, a fact that almost all of Konoha's most lethal ninja were ANBU… at one point in time. The truly dangerous ones, however, did not wear easily recognizable masks, or give any indication of their true ability at all in broad daylight. These were the sleepers, the very last ninja you expected to be the ones capable of slitting throats from behind, or stabbing hearts face-to-face: unassuming, harmless-looking people with easy smiles, infectious laughs, and an endless supply of friends. They led simple, everyday lives while not on duty: delivering messages throughout the village, cleaning up at the local bathhouse, even teaching the next generation of ninja their first jutsu.

But when they were needed, these people would simply cease to exist as all others knew them. Oh, there were a million excuses: illness, visiting friends, or even a toned-down version of the actual mission. Many of the sleepers even had no traceable connection to the identities they assumed in the Hokage's service, which made them all the more effective.

It was extremely difficult to train a sleeper, though. A great number of them simply had a talent for hiding within their own faces, which had been spotted at an early age. The Hokage had scouts for this very purpose, and it was not unheard for him to select candidates personally as he walked through the village. That was only one of the advantages of knowing every face in Konoha: you knew exactly which ones could contain the deepest, darkest secrets.

The Sandaime Hokage had only handpicked one sleeper so far. It was one of his proudest, yet most shameful achievements. In some ways, training sleepers was even viler than sealing a demon inside of a newborn child. The result was largely the same in the end, with the only real difference being that people were likely to trust a sleeper, never knowing how close to death they came each and every day.

Uzumaki Naruto was only the second child the Sandaime had seriously considered turning into a sleeper. He would not have been able to perform this function in Konoha, of course, but in another Hidden Village where no one knew his name or face, he would have been brilliant. That is, until the day when Naruto had finally allowed the sadness and pain to reach his eyes. After that, he had just been a broken child who needed to escape in the worst way.

As it stood, only a handful of people in Konoha knew for certain that Naruto was alive: the Hokage himself, Hatake Kakashi, Sabaku no Gaara, and Umino Iruka. The Sandaime received regular updates on Naruto's life in Suna, and these were shared only with Kakashi. Gaara, on the other hand, was uncertain as to how he knew that Naruto still lived, yet something in the dark corners of his mind insisted that the boy was alive, if only because Gaara hadn't killed him yet.

As for Iruka, he knew because he had been in Suna for over a year now, under the codename of Moujuu. It was he alone that had been watching Naruto all that time, keeping the Hokage informed of the boy's progress, and of his suffering. But they both knew that the Hokage was powerless in this situation. Even if he ordered Naruto brought back to Konoha, Iruka could only manage it himself if the boy cooperated, and he seriously doubted that was even a remote possibility. The boy's life was hard in Suna, true, but not without some reward. Iruka had initially refused this assignment because of the target's true nature, but he had quickly discovered that he knew nothing of Naruto's true nature. The boy wanted acceptance more than anything else, something that Iruka could completely relate to. That he had found it here, in a place where he was encouraged and sometimes forced to release Kyuubi… it was only a testament to how horrible his life in Konoha had really been, if this was to be considered an improvement.

"Can it really be that simple, Uzumaki?" Iruka muttered as he watched Temari and Naruto playing with a weasel just outside of the home they shared. "Did you really just need the same things your demon took from me: a family to support you?"

It seemed to good to be true. The Kyuubi's container, tamed by a little affection? But Iruka had been around long enough to know that even if it were that simple, almost no one else would ever find out. No one treated people like Naruto that way once they knew the truth. Iruka himself wouldn't have thought twice about killing the boy at one point in his life. But now that he had watched Naruto for this long, it was startling how much he was like the kids back in Konoha's Ninja Academy: eager but unsure, searching for his place in the world. Iruka could no more hurt the boy now than he could lift a finger against his own students. It just wasn't in him any longer.

Perhaps it was not the boy being tamed, but the people around him. Given enough time and opportunity, maybe he could have even worn down the hardened hearts of Konoha's people. It was too late now, however, and Iruka regretted that. The Kyuubi was now in the hands of the Kazekage, and he didn't doubt that Konoha would regret that deeply one day. He only hoped it wouldn't come too soon.

* * *

"And you're sure I can fly?" Naruto asked for the tenth time.

Meg rolled her eyes. "Look, you'll never know unless you trust me and try. Anyway, what have you got to lose? If you do it wrong, you won't leave the ground. No harm, no foul!"

"I guess…" It wasn't that Naruto didn't want to fly. But he'd never seen a flying weasel, either. "Could I maybe watch you do it first?"

"Yeah, but you'll get the wrong idea," Meg warned him. "My body is much lighter than yours, and we're not built the same way. Oh, but keep your eyes on my tail, that part is really important."

Naruto watched in awe as Meg crouched slightly on his shoulder, wiggled her rear end a little, and then launched herself into the air with her tail. For some reason, though, instead of falling, she kept going up and up, soaring into the sky with no visible difficulty. Every now and then, her tail would twitch, and Naruto realized that she was steering with it. She circled over his head a few times before landing back on his shoulder.

"Were you watching my tail?" Meg asked at once.

"Yeah."

"Good. Now, forget everything you saw, since you don't have a tail."

"I… wait, what?"

"You did notice that you don't have a tail, right?"

"Of course I noticed!" Naruto snapped. "But you told me to watch yours!"

"Only because I want you to realize that it won't help you at all. I did warn you we were different."

"Meg, how is this helping me?"

"Oh, that's easy," Meg replied. "When I became your partner, you automatically gained the right to fly."

Naruto stared at her. "The… right? What does that mean?"

"You have the gift. It means your body is now aware that it can fly. Your mind just has to catch up. You have to BELIEVE you can fly now. Once you do, I can teach you how to go so fast the human eye will have trouble tracking you. That's when we can start learning the really fun stuff."

"That sounds great, but you're still not really telling me how to do this, exactly."

Meg nodded rapidly. "That's the tricky part. The wind is alive, Naruto. All you have to do is ask permission to flow with it. It's easier for me, since I've been doing it most of my life. Try looking at it this way. When you walk, you take it for granted. You just… know that the ground is going to be there for every step you take. Flying isn't much different. You have to just know that the air is going to catch you. People only fall because they believe they're supposed to."

"This all sounds pretty weird, Meg…"

"I know, I know. But I flew. You saw me. So I must know something you don't, right? I'll even give you a two-for-one deal. If you fly at all on your first try, I'll put in a good word for Temari back at HQ. That way, if she ever decides to become a summoner, she can get a really strong weasel for her partner, too."

"And you promise that I can fly?"

Meg hesitated. "Um… eventually, sure."

Naruto scowled at her. "Okay, but you have to stay on my shoulder the whole time. If I go down, I'm taking you with me."

"That doesn't really seem fair to me. You're the one that can't fly."

"You're the one that says I can!"

"So I'm going to be punished for encouraging you?"

"Yes! No! I don't know!"

"This is taking way too long," Meg sighed. "So how about this? I can guarantee a method that will make you fly. But you won't like it!"

Naruto nodded eagerly. "Fine, let's do that. What do I have to do?"

"Just stand here, and don't get mad at me, because I warned you." Meg hopped off of his shoulder and vanished.

"Uh… Meg? When are you going to-"

"KAMAITACHI HIJUTSU: TENBATSUTEKIMEN!" (Sickle Weasel Secret Technique: Swift is Heaven's Vengeance)

The next thing Naruto knew, it felt like he'd received three quick, stinging swats to his rear, and he suddenly found himself launched ten feet into the air, howling in pain. "MEG!!!"

"I told you you wouldn't like it," Meg sighed as Naruto crashed back to the ground in a twitching heap. "Maybe next time you'll try it on your own when I tell you to!"

* * *

_1 Year, 8 Months in Konoha - July_

The party was, unfortunately, just what Sasuke had feared it would be: a crowd of mostly Hyuuga paying their respects to him. Of course, Hyuuga were by nature respectful largely to no one but their own clan leaders, and the fact that almost none of them considered themselves beneath the sole survivor of the Uchiha Massacre made the whole event rather pointless. Sasuke became more and more aware of this as the night wore on, and he only put up with it because shame would be cast on Hinata if he didn't.

That, and he wasn't completely sure that Gaara wouldn't slaughter all of the other Hyuuga if Hinata grew upset. Sasuke had been more surprised than alarmed when his father had told him about Gaara and Shukaku shortly after their arrival in Konoha. That had been so Sasuke wouldn't make the mistake of crossing Gaara as Ino had, and he'd been even more surprised that Hinata had received the same warning (what better way for a supposedly useless heiress to die than in an "accident" with a demon vessel?). Sasuke would've thought that Konoha would have nothing more to do with the greater demons, but clearly he'd been wrong.

Still, Gaara had proven surprisingly stable, if a little bloodthirsty from time to time, but no more than some other ninja Sasuke had seen. At first, he had been concerned that Hinata seemed to trust in Gaara for no real reason. But she insisted that Gaara was not a monster, and that he only needed someone to be his friend. Gaara seemed to trust both of them easily enough, since they'd sided with him even though they'd witnessed his attack on Ino and Shikamaru. He was especially drawn to Hinata, but that was more because she had looked at him with kindness from the start. Sasuke could tell that Gaara was still puzzled by that, and the redhead spent a great deal of time asking Hinata questions about strange topics such as the healing of hearts, the functions of families, and when it was okay to strike to kill. That Hinata made every attempt to answer his questions, even the ones that made her uncomfortable, was what finally made Sasuke realize exactly what was happening between them.

Hinata was essentially shaping the person that Gaara would become. If she so desired, she could fashion him into a mindless engine of destruction. There was little chance of that, but Sasuke was not convinced that Gaara, and more importantly Shukaku, could ever be completely tamed. For the moment, however, he was not worried about Gaara attacking them without warning. He did not seem to mind Sasuke's presence at all, and almost appeared fond of Hinata at times. That alone spoke volumes, since Gaara clearly had no other friends. Hinata had seen him talking to a brown-haired girl at Ichiraku Ramen, but Gaara corrected her, quite strongly, and said that person was something else entirely to him.

Sasuke had not expected Gaara to accept Hinata's invitation, but he had shocked them both by agreeing to attend the birthday party. When asked why, Gaara had responded that if the rest of Hinata's clan was like her father soundd, then she was most likely not safe in her own home, and he intended to find out just how accurate that assumption was. So far, there had been no incidents, but Sasuke did not believe that the Hyuuga would be able to suppress their blatant disapproval of Hinata, not even for one night.

The party was nearly at an end now, having reached the presentation of the last visible gift. Sasuke had received little that he truly needed or would make use of, but he'd expected far worse. Among the best presents were the offers from various ninja to train Sasuke in their areas of expertise. The only ones that seemed really promising were genjutsu training with Yuuhi Kurenai (still a chuunin, but supposedly already one of the best genjutsu users in the village), and Katon jutsu expansion with Sarutobi Asuma (Sasuke had already inherited scrolls for several, but it was the expansion part he was interested in). Even Hinata had somehow gotten Neji to commit to a one-time sparring session, but only after Sasuke's Sharingan manifested. Neji was rather typically reluctant about it, but agreed to come through on his end. This was more welcome than the usual kisses from Hinata (although he still got one, and didn't complain at all), since it was rare that anyone not teamed with a Hyuuga got to train with one.

But just when Hiashi was about to declare the party ended, Gaara spoke up.

"I have a gift."

Everyone froze as Gaara rose from his seat, his gaze firmly fixed on Hinata. He turned to face Sasuke, but his eyes lingered on Hinata a few seconds more before finally shifting to the boy.

"There are only three things I can give you that are of any value, Sasuke." Gaara paused and extended his hand. "I swear on my life that I will lend you my strength until you have found your own. I swear on my blood that you will never know the pain of loss again. And I swear on all the lives that I have taken, and all the blood that I have spilled, that if anyone seeks to harm your wife, I will devour them whole."

This declaration was met with complete silence.

"Gaara… you know she isn't technically my wife yet," was all Sasuke could respond with.

"She is your wife in her heart, and has been for some time. If you cannot see that now, you will soon. Do you accept my gift?"

Sasuke reached out and grasped Gaara's hand firmly. "I do. But what exactly do you mean by 'devour,' Gaara?"

Gaara's grip instantly became like iron. "Keep Hinata happy and healthy, and you will never need to find out, Sasuke."

While Sasuke could appreciate Gaara's position, he also realized that he wasn't going to get his hand back without some help. "Hinata-chan, do you mind? I think this is more a gift to you, anyway."

Hinata stood up with some obvious hesitation. "Gaara-san, you're going to a great deal of trouble for both of us, aren't you? It really isn't necessary-"

"I do not pretend to understand your clan politics, and all the rules that accompany them," Gaara interrupted. "But this is very simple despite that. You are my friends. Your lives are mine to protect, until you prove capable of protecting yourselves with your own strength. When you have demonstrated this, my protection will… be reduced. Somewhat."

Sasuke still had some issues with that, but before he could discuss the matter further, Hinata accepted the gift for both of them. At least, he assumed that was her intention, when she stepped forward and kissed Gaara soundly on his cheek.

Again, everyone in the room froze.

Gaara blinked, trying to decide how he should feel about that. Before he got the chance, there was a small tug on his hand, and he looked down to see Hanabi gazing up at him. With little warning, she thrust a slightly damp dango skewer that had been picked clean into his hand, almost expectantly.

Sasuke saw several people move to snatch Hanabi away, but there was no need. Well, not exactly.

Gaara had clearly been living with Anko for far too long, because with almost no thought at all, he retrieved a full skewer from the dining table and handed it to Hanabi, who immediately proceeded with a spirited attempt to stuff the entire skewer into her tiny mouth. She had only been struggling for a few seconds when Hinata came over and gently insisted on showing her an easier way.

For once, Sasuke could not fault little Hanabi's logic. She'd obviously spotted a treat she was not usually allowed to have, and quickly figured out that no one was going to stop Gaara, since he was easily the scariest person in the room. For the remainder of the party, Hanabi planted herself right beside Gaara and ate dango to her heart's content, clutching his arm whenever someone approached with the intent to remove her. Amazingly, Gaara quickly grew accustomed to Hanabi's small, sticky fingers, and even pocketed her empty skewers when she was done with them as an apparent token of their newfound partnership. Sasuke still didn't like Hanabi, but she was obviously smarter than he'd ever given her credit for.

* * *

Mitarashi Anko could be really sneaky when she put her heart into it.

And unfortunately for Yuuhi Kurenai, Hatake Anko was no different. Kurenai realized that she should've guessed as much the very moment Anko and Kakashi turned up on her doorstep, Anko with a manic grin, and Kakashi with his eye crinkling mischievously. Why she had agreed to go out for drinks with them, she couldn't begin to imagine.

But twenty minutes later, she found herself listening attentively as Anko described the private ceremony in which they were wed. Strangely, it had only taken twenty minutes (ten minutes to "kidnap" the Sandaime Hokage from his home in the middle of the night to perform the ceremony, five minutes to get him and Enma to stop attacking them, and another five to actually exchange vows). By this point, Anko was very much drunk, and was gesturing wildly every time she got to a good part of the story. Kakashi was simply drinking (to the best of Kurenai's knowledge, he was doing it THROUGH his mask), one arm wrapped around Anko's waist (partially to keep her from toppling off of her barstool).

Normally, Kurenai would have dared to ask what sort of madness had possessed them. But Kakashi and Anko seemed so… deliriously happy. Certainly they were far happier than when they'd been sleeping together on and off, and even if this was only because of the promise of regular sex, Kurenai could not bring herself to ruin it for them. They were her friends, and happiness was an elusive creature for ninja such as them.

She had almost been ready to label the entire outing as completely innocent when she happened to look up, and catch the eye of one Sarutobi Asuma as he strode through the door. He froze, eyes widening as they both came to the conclusion that they'd been set up, but after a moment's hesitation, Kurenai shrugged slightly and subtly gestured to the empty barstool beside her. Asuma really looked like he didn't want to endure another night of teasing at his and Kurenai's expense, but after taking a long, long look at Kurenai, he apparently changed his mind and walked over to their table.

"Asuuuuuma!" Anko slurred, slapping his arm repeatedly. "You're late!"

"Uh huh," Asuma grunted as he sat down. "Kakashi failed to mention that it wouldn't just be the two of us."

"I'm flattered, but I'm also taken," Kakashi reminded his friend with a wink.

Asuma stared at him in disbelief before shaking his head. "I just really hope you're drunk so I don't have to kill you for that."

"Never hurts to keep your options open a little," Kakashi replied easily.

"It generally does if you're married. And why are you hitting on me when you've got Anko?"

"Well, it was her idea."

"SHHH!" Anko practically shouted, pressing a finger to the general region of Kakashi's mouth. "You're not s'posed to tell him, Scare Bear!"

"So you brought us to a bar to you could steal… I mean, proposition Asuma?" Kurenai asked, her cheeks glowing slightly from the slip-up.

Kakashi shook his head. "Oh, you're both welcome to follow us back to our place. Anko was very clear on that point." He attempted a lecherous leer, but it was a little hard with one eye. "Unless you two would rather be alone…?"

"In which case we could wait a few minutes before following you and taping whatever you happen to be doing at the moment," Anko added, now sounding quite sober.

"There really should be laws to keep people like you two from finding each other," Asuma sighed.

"Just like there should be laws to force people like you two to admit you're together. You should both have to wear huge signs!"

"Anko, for the last time, Asuma and I aren't together," Kurenai sighed. "And even if we were, this is exactly why I wouldn't tell you."

"So if you're not together," Anko purred, leaning across the table and leering at her friend, "then why don't you join us, Kurenai-chan? We'll have the place to ourselves, since Gaara is going to be out late tonight. Hell, he wouldn't even care if he walked in on us."

"He's out late with who?" Asuma asked, genuinely interested.

"Sasuke and Hinata. They're his friends, if you can believe that."

Kurenai frowned. "Hinata, I could understand… but Sasuke? Isn't that a little risky, given his current state of mind?"

Anko snorted. "Trust me, there's no way Sasuke could make Gaara any more crazy than he already is. And even then it's the stable kind of crazy where almost nothing affects him. So long as they answer his questions and don't get too many paper cuts, they should be fine."

"I'd be more worried about the influence Gaara might have on Sasuke," Asuma noted. "What if Sasuke decides to copy some of Gaara's winning personality? We could have another Itachi on our hands in no time if we're not careful."

"Gaara would beat the crap out of him if he tried anything," Anko insisted. "But I don't think it'll come to that. Between Gaara and Hinata, Sasuke should turn out fine."

* * *

Neji normally spent as little time with his uncle Hiashi was possible, but for once, they were in agreement.

Neither Hyuuga male was happy about the sight of Sasuke and Hinata trying to teach Gaara and Hanabi how to dance. Hanabi had figured out that she was supposed to hold onto Gaara, but aside from that, neither one had started moving yet. Neji felt he should do something, but what could he do? If Gaara reacted violently, Hinata or Hanabi could be hurt accidentally.

"I know it's hard to watch, Neji," Hiashi said softly, "but you must restrain yourself. This is actually one of the best situations our clan could ever hope for."

Neji started, not expecting that response. "I… I don't understand, Hiashi-sama."

"Hinata has finally proven her usefulness to our clan. She will wed the Uchiha as soon as they become genin. It will take some convincing, but the Hokage is a man like any other, and he can be persuaded. In the meantime, she has won the devotion of Shukaku's vessel. That is also in our favor, in the long run."

This only confused Neji even more. Hiashi had gone to great lengths to keep Hinata away from the first demon container. Why was Gaara any different? What did he have that the Uzumaki boy had lacked?

Hiashi seemed to guess the direction of Neji's thoughts. "Do not misunderstand me, Neji. Were it up to me, no one in this clan would have anything to do with any demon. However, in this case, it is too late. The kitsune and the tanuki are alike in their fondness for tainting innocence. If I tried to separate my daughters from Gaara now, not only would they resist, he would fight for the right to see them. This fact can be used to manipulate him, however. Hanabi's odd manner will make it difficult to match her with a suitable husband. If she does not grow out of it, perhaps Gaara could be persuaded to claim her."

"You believe Hanabi-sama will consent to this?" Neji asked.

Hiashi's face hardened. "This is not common knowledge outside of the Hyuuga council, but Hanabi's Byakugan is suspected of being… defective. If she cannot use it properly, then being Gaara's mate is the best fate she could hope for. Her consent was never an issue."

Neji felt his blood freeze in his veins. "I thought Hanabi-sama was to be chosen as the new heiress?"

"I think not," was Hiashi's cold reply. "A weak heiress is better than a powerless one. Hinata is foolish, but the Uchiha is not. Bringing him into the clan will give her even more value."

"And if Hanabi-sama could do the same with Gaara? Isn't he more powerful than any lone Uchiha?"

Hiashi slowly turned his head to stare down at Neji, his eyes narrowing. "I did not think I would need to explain this to you, Neji. Gaara is a demon vessel. Demons do not become Hyuuga. Shukaku may become our weapon, but he will never be one of us. Hanabi is nothing more than a sacrifice to keep Gaara content."

What happened next, Neji would not be able to explain for a very long time. He quickly stepped back, bowed politely to his uncle, and practically ran from him without being dismissed. Thankfully, Hiashi did not punish him for this offense… at least, not right away.

That night, as he tried unsuccessfully to sleep, Neji would think hard on the fates of his two cousins. He barely thought of them as even being family, and yet he could not simply ignore their existence. Every time he tried, he would remember Hinata's tears for his father. While he didn't feel much for Hanabi, she did not deserve to become a demon's mate just because of her physical defect. That was far too much like being branded as a slave just because you were born a few minutes too late.

Would his father feel anything for Hinata and Hanabi? Would his duty be to the clan, or Hiashi's daughters? Neji didn't know, and feared he never would.

**End of Chapter 6.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Timeskipping along a little. Naruto finds his social life improving (so get off my back about it!). Gaara is tested for ANBU membership with a battle against Yamato.

Endnotes:

Megami: goddess

Moujuu: wild animal; beast of prey

Meg's jutsu:

**Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique):** A high-speed movement technique. It is described as 'appearing with the wind and disappearing like the wind.' This super-fast movement is almost impossible to see with the naked eye. To a normal person, it would seem as if the user has teleported. Among the many users and villages, various variations of Shunshin no Jutsu exist. Sickle weasels such as Meg would use Kaze-Shunshin (Wind Body Flicker), leaving only a slight breeze (if that) to mark their movement.

**Kamaitachi Hijutsu: Tenbatsutekimen (Sickle Weasel Secret Technique: Swift is Heaven's Vengeance):** Also translated as "the certainty of divine punishment." Really nothing more than three swats from Meg's sickle, but they're delivered at high speed, and are powerful enough to launch the victim into the air. If that seems familiar, it's meant to be… It's something Meg uses to punish people (or, like Naruto, when they ask for it). To clear up any confusion, "kamaitachi" can also mean something along the lines of "cut by a whirlwind," which is comparable to the way sickle weasels are thought to attack.

As you may have guessed, Meg is going to be a constant presence in Naruto's life from now on, almost like an actual pet. And as stated, she'll be helping him with more than just wind jutsu. The ladies, for one thing…

You probably don't like my altered Iruka. If that's the case, there are ways of fixing it that you're even less likely to like. And the reason no one from Suna is spying on Gaara is… no one cares enough to do so. They're just glad he's gone, frankly.

Not sure if I had to point this out or not, but "Scare Bear" is just a cutesy nickname for Kakashi, since his name can mean "scarecrow."

The Hyuuga seem like the nitpicky type, so expect the heiress situation to tilt in both Hinata and Hanabi's favor more than once before it's resolved.

I'm not really certain what the lowest age for marriage is for active ninja, but I assume getting married as a rookie genin is pretty early. I want to say the age is fourteen, in the case of arranged marriages, anyway.


	7. The Sound and The Sand

Notes: There's a tiny timeskip of about two years between the end of Chapter 6 (Year 8 after Kyuubi's defeat, July) and the start of Chapter 7 (Year 10 after Kyuubi's defeat, January; Naruto is 9, Gaara is 10). If you're wondering, the only thing of interest I'm aware of in the year I skipped is the birth of Akamaru on July 7th. This chapter will address some issues I only mentioned in passing: how people in Suna react to Naruto, what Gaara and Naruto have been learning, the Sound's presence in Suna, Naruto's first crush, and the very first detailed fight in the story. Keep in mind that things won't progress exactly as in canon, since nothing bores me faster than a writer copying certain scenes word-for-word simply because they're important to the canon storyline.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 7: The Sound and The Sand**

* * *

_3 Years, 2 Months in Suna - January_

"Naruto!"

The nine-year-old boy, who had been peacefully sleeping on the roof of his home, slowly opened his eyes, yawning lazily as Temari's legs walked into view. "Hmm? T'mari? Wuzzit?"

Temari nudged him with her foot. "I want to go out."

Naruto grimaced and turned onto his side. "Have fun…"

She nudged him again. "I want you to come with me. So get up."

"Do I have to?" he whined, giving her his best pout.

"Yeah, you do. Why else would I bother to wake you up? Come on."

With a long, drawn-out sigh, Naruto got to his feet and rubbed at his eyes. "Why do you have to drag me along?"

"The same reason you take Meg everywhere you go," Temari replied at once.

Naruto blinked, giving her an odd look. "My hair tickles you?"

Temari's eyes narrowed. "No."

"Extra body heat? Amusing commentary? Overwhelming cuteness?"

"Ooh, I know!" Meg cried as her head popped out of Naruto's collar. "It's because your hair matches!"

"I JUST WANT TO HANG OUT, YOU IDIOTS!" Temari shouted angrily.

"Oh," Naruto and Meg responded at the same time, looking reasonably sheepish.

"Why didn't you just say so from the start?" Naruto asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Guessing was more fun," Meg pointed out.

"Maybe for you two," Temari grumbled. "Actually, I'm having trouble remembering what it was that made me want to hang out with either of you, now…"

Naruto brightened at once. "In that case, can I go back to my nap?"

"Not unless you want to be in it for a whole month," Temari growled, slamming the end of her battle fan into the roof hard enough to leave more than a few cracks.

"You know, if you just asked nice, when I wasn't napping, I probably wouldn't mind so much," Naruto sighed. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"Out."

"Aren't we already out?" Meg whispered in Naruto's ear. "That was the whole point in napping on the roof. That and the tanning opportunities, anyway."

He nodded. "Yeah, but don't tell her that. She might hit me."

"Why?"

"Bigger target."

"Oh."

"I can HEAR you, you know," Temari snapped. "Now come on before I throw you off."

"That way actually is faster," Naruto said approvingly, hopping up to stand on the edge of the roof. "What do you think, Meg? Diving or running?"

"You need more practice with the running… vertically, anyway," Meg answered as she disappeared back into his collar. "Just don't trip!"

"That only happened once, and the window should have been open! Who keeps their window shut in the desert?"

"Actually, that would keep sand and bugs and flying boys out… in most cases. But obviously your thick skull was an exception."

"Hey!"

"Stop teasing him, Meg," Temari interrupted, tousling Naruto's hair playfully. "And don't worry, Naruto. I happen to think you have a very cute thick skull."

Naruto scowled at her. "You're really not helping, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know. Let's go!" With that, Temari whipped her fan open and leaped over the side of the building. An instant later, she flew back into view, riding on her fan.

Not wanting to be left behind, Naruto fell forward and charged down the side of the building, quickly picking up speed as he neared the bottom. Instead of trying to stop, however, he lets the wind at his back guide his feet safely to the ground, so that he barely loses any speed as he hits the ground running.

High above, Temari cursed under her breath as she watched Naruto race off, leaving a rising stream of dust clouds in his wake. "Good thing I didn't challenge him to a race," she muttered, before realizing that Naruto has no idea where she wanted to go. Sighing, she urged her fan forward in a half-hearted attempt to catch up, knowing that she never would unless Naruto thought to look over his shoulder for her… which should probably be about twenty minutes or so, if she was lucky.

* * *

A short time later, Temari casually strolls through Suna's market district, with a thoroughly chewed out (not to mention slightly bruised) Naruto following at her heels. She doesn't feel the least bit guilty about being a little rough with him, either. It was nothing Naruto would show any signs of longer than three minutes, anyway, and he certainly knew better than to run off and leave her when she'd clearly told him twice that she wanted to hang out with him, not watch his dust as he ran away.

She's pretty certain that Naruto will have forgotten she was angry by the time the bruises heal up, and sure enough, he soon moves around to walk beside her, looking curiously at the different vendors they pass. It amazes her, how he's impressed by the littlest things. Then again, it's only recently that the Kazekage has allowed Naruto to venture out into the village, and only then as a reward for Naruto being openly devoted to the idea of getting stronger as fast as was possible for him.

But now that they're actually passing civilians with no trouble, Temari wonders what her father was afraid would happen. Some people eye them curiously, and a few seem a little surprised, but there is no hostility. By now they must all know that Gaara is long gone, so nobody is concerned by Temari's presence. Even when she purposely catches someone's eye, they only nod respectfully and go about their business.

As Temari ponders this new sense of calm, she happens to glance over at Naruto, who suddenly slows down, and then stops completely.

"What is it?" she asks, pausing at the shocked look on his face. "Naruto?"

"They… don't hate me," he whispers. "Nobody here… hates me."

"Why would they?" Temari challenges him, placing her hands on her hips. "What did you ever do to them?"

"I… well, nothing, but-"

Temari turns away, spotting a perfume stand further down the road. She grabs Naruto's arm and drags him over, until they're standing directly in front of the old woman who is waiting patiently for them to start browsing through her products.

"Excuse me," Temari says, getting the woman's attention, "but I was wondering if you had anything for a boy like my little brother here." She shook Naruto's arm for emphasis.

The old woman's eyes slide over to Naruto, studying him for several seconds. Finally, she clears her throat and says, "I doubt he really needs anything from my stand, Temari-san. Those exotic whisker tattoos alone are sure to attract the attention of any young lady. But I believe I might have something to truly bring out his animal magnetism… that is, if the young man agrees?"

"Um… no thanks, I think I'm okay," Naruto murmurs, blushing slightly.

The woman nods faintly. "Very well. Have a pleasant day, then."

Smirking, Temari drags Naruto away. "See? I told you."

"But… they don't know about me, then?" Naruto asks.

"All they know is that you're not Gaara," Temari sighs. "And if you'd seen some of the things he did here, you'd understand why."

"You don't care if they see us together then?"

Temari pauses and narrows her eyes at him. "What?"

Naruto swallows nervously. "I mean… if they ever find out… about HIM, well… I bet things would change in a hurry, and…" He trails off abruptly as Temari's hand releases his arm, firmly seizes his own hand, and continues to drag him down the road. "Temari? What are you-"

"I am NOT ashamed of you, Naruto," Temari growls. "I AM ashamed that you would think something like that about me. Do you really think I'd ever abandon you like that, just because of what a civilian thought?"

Naruto doesn't answer, and instead stares at the ground.

"You're really ruining this for me, you know," she mutters. "I thought we could just have a little fun, and I'd show you around, but if you're still stuck in Konoha where people are cruel, mindless idiots, and you think I don't mean it when I call you my brother, then-"

Naruto suddenly darts into her path and throws his arms around her waist, burying his face in her chest. "I'm sorry, nee-chan," he murmurs, his shoulders trembling. "I didn't… I just…" He lifts his head, tears spilling down his face. "It's just never been okay… to be me before. You know?"

Temari sighs and tenderly cups his cheek with her hand. "I know, Naruto. But now it is. Get used to it, okay?"

He nods, stepping back and wiping at his face with his arm. "Sorry… did I get you wet?"

She glances down, spotting two or three small tearstains on her outfit, and decides they'd had enough sadness for one day. "No. Come on, let's get some lunch." This time, it is Naruto who grabs her hand, and she gives him a reassuring squeeze before they start walking again.

* * *

It wasn't long before something caught Temari's eye, and it wasn't food. Standing beside a small trinket shop was a young girl around Temari's age. She had long, black hair flowing down her back, secured by a single violet ribbon. It was strange enough to have so much hair exposed to be potentially damaged by the heat and sand, but what really got Temari's attention was that the girl wore a brown Sand headband… and a slightly smaller, but still very noticeable violet armband on her left arm with a single musical note on it.

"Sound," Temari breathed in surprise.

"You say something, Temari?" Naruto asked, glancing at her.

"No," she replied at once, fast enough that Naruto paused and eyed her curiously.

The truth was, she'd seen a few Sound-nin in the village before, and never more than one at a time. The last had been a tall young man with glasses, who possessed one of the creepiest smiles Temari had ever seen. She hadn't learned his name, unfortunately, but then she'd been far too busy trying to stay away from him to worry about that.

But this was the first ninja she'd ever seen that apparently served two Hidden Villages. If that was the case, then negotiations with the Sound must have been progressing better than Temari had thought. The Kazekage had failed to finalize every potential treaty the Sound had offered, as if he didn't want to officially trust them, but the meetings had continued on a regular basis over the past few years. Clearly, the Sand had something that the Sound needed, but Temari wasn't sure just what it was yet.

Deciding she wanted to find out more, Temari led Naruto over to the trinket shop. Thankfully, she'd thought to teach him to follow her lead whenever they encountered a ninja from another village, and since this would be his first time meeting a Sound ninja, she couldn't risk him doing something that might negatively impact a treaty in progress.

"You must be twice as strong as most genin if you've got two of those," Temari said casually, hoping to start off on a good note (no pun intended).

This was clearly the right thing to say, because the Sound-nin smiled hesitantly. "Not really. It just means I serve two masters instead of the usual one. I haven't decided if that's something to be proud of yet," she replied.

Temari noticed that the girl's eyes lingered on her own Sand headband for only a second. "Sabaku no Temari," she greeted, offering her free hand. "Oh, and this is my little brother Naruto."

"Tsuchi Kin," the Sound-nin replied as she shook Temari's hand, nodding at each of them.

"I really like your hair, Kin-san," Naruto said, sounding awed as he stared at her, and Temari honestly couldn't tell if he was acting or not.

Kin's smile was more genuine this time. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I also like your… er, whiskers?" Naruto beamed with pride, which made Kin giggle slightly.

"Naruto and I were just on our way to get some lunch," Temari added. "Care to join us?"

"That'd be great. I'm still learning my way around here, actually. I'd be completely lost if I were here by myself."

"Oh?" Temari asked.

"Yeah. My teammates… well, all Sound-nin, really, have excellent hearing. Our ears can isolate a lone noise in a crowded room. Makes it easy to find each other. Which reminds me…" Kin suddenly flicked her Sound armband with her fingernail. "Just to let them know I'm okay." She shrugged. "Orders. You understand."

Temari nodded. From the sounds of it, there were only a handful of Sound-nin in the village even now. The chances of something happening to them were actually pretty high. It made sense to have precautionary methods, and this one was rather ingenious. Most likely if Kin didn't signal her teammates on a regular basis, they'd know something was wrong.

By popular vote, it was decided they'd have ramen for lunch (and only then because Naruto reminded Kin how pretty her hair was when it was her turn to vote). There wasn't a big demand for ramen in Suna, but Temari knew exactly where the ramen stand was, as she and Kankurou had made many trips there for Naruto over the years. She wouldn't have been surprised to learn if he was solely keeping the stand open by himself.

Temari had planned to ask Kin some more about the Sound without seeming like she was gathering information, but it was a while before she got a chance. Naruto kept talking to Kin almost constantly as they walked. It took a while for Temari to realize that other than herself, Naruto had probably never spent that much time around a girl. She would've thought he didn't know how to act around them, but apparently this was not an issue. If he gave Kin any more attention, they'd probably be dating before lunch was over. Unfortunately, Naruto wasn't asking anything really useful. He was mostly interested in how Kin kept her hair so long, and even as a girl herself, Temari was impressed by how much care actually went into keeping it presentable.

As was usual with Naruto, the ramen made him feel a lot more at ease. By bowl three, "Kin-san" had become "Kin-chan," and no amount of elbows to his ribs would change it back. Fortunately, Kin didn't say anything about it, and maybe Temari was imagining it, but the Sound-nin looked as if she liked that Naruto had clearly become attached to her so quickly. From the way she had only mentioned her teammates once or twice so far, they obviously weren't very close, but Kin did still respect them enough to insist on leaving right after lunch so she wouldn't be late for training. Before she ran off, however, Kin made sure to give Naruto a big hug that left him blushing for a good five minutes.

"Should I just leave you and your girlfriend alone next time?" Temari teased, nudging him lightly.

"Kin-chan isn't my girlfriend!" Naruto protested, his cheeks glowing red. "We just met, and I haven't even asked her yet…"

"Well, you might want to find something to talk about other than her hair in the future. She probably hears that all the time."

"I don't think so," Naruto disagreed. "If she did, wouldn't she have changed the subject?"

Temari frowned thoughtfully. Naruto had a point, and Kin certainly hadn't minded talking about her hair. Maybe he was onto something. "Still, you can't always talk about the same thing. She'll get bored at some point. Maybe you could ask her to spar sometime."

Naruto looked horrified. "I can't hurt Kin-chan!"

"Then let her hurt you. Trust me, you're both ninja, so it's going to come up." Temari was confident of that, if only because she was going to keep pressing the issue. Kin was nice enough, but the Sound was largely a mystery, and the more Temari knew about them, the better prepared she'd be if things went bad between their two villages.

* * *

_3 Years, 3 Months in Konoha - February_

"Are you sure you want to go through with this? Normally, new prospects are only expected to last five minutes against a squad member. But your opponent today is easily as strong as a squad captain, and he's actually one of the few people that even I would have trouble-"

Gaara closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Kakashi, you cannot frighten me. I came to this village to face the strongest opponents. I will not change my mind."

Kakashi sighed and shook his head. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you later on. These kinds of tests are ruthless."

"There is no better kind for me," Gaara replied calmly, opening his eyes to scan the surrounding forest. He could sense a familiar flare of chakra, and quickly realized why he hadn't noticed it before. It wasn't approaching... it was well concealed, and had been waiting on them the whole time.

"So you sensed me, Gaara," a masked, black-cloaked ANBU stated as he stepped out from behind a tree. "That's a good sign that you are indeed ready for this test. But you'll need much more than that to be successful here."

Gaara didn't appear to be concerned. "Tell me what I must do to pass."

"Simple. You must defeat me... without killing me."

Kakashi laughed nervously. "Yamato, that's not really a good idea. I mean, what if he messes up or forgets in the heat of battle?"

"Then he fails, obviously," Yamato replied easily. "Hokage-sama specifically told me that Gaara will only be allowed to join ANBU if he can defeat a powerful opponent without killing them. True, he's more likely to have kill than capture on a mission, but it happens, and he must be prepared."

"I understand." Gaara glared at Kakashi to keep him from protesting again. "Can we begin now?"

Without a word, Yamato's chakra flared again, and Kakashi barely had time to leap out of the way as new trees burst from the ground all around them, effectively trapping all three inside a barrier of trees within mere seconds.

"You do remember you're not fighting me?" Kakashi asked with a weak laugh.

Yamato didn't answer as he stretched out his right hand. His fingers seemed to bulge for a moment, just before they lengthened and broke off into five pale brown masses that quickly grew into identical copies of himself.

Gaara hadn't moved the whole time this was going on, and even now showed no sign that he was going to. But as the Moku Bunshin (Wood Clones) began to close in, Gaara's gourd exploded without warning, and the sand that rushed out swirled around his feet as two Suna Bunshin (Sand Clones) rose up in front of him. Curiously, one of the clones lifted his head and spat into the air, which trickled back to the ground and formed a wide ring of sand around Gaara, his clones, and Yamato's.

"You are wondering why I did not create an equal amount of clones," Gaara said quietly. "But the truth is that I've created too many as it is. I only need one to be rid of your army."

At a nod from Gaara, the same clone suddenly began to spin in place. At first, it looked like the clone was breaking down, but with no warning, a long tendril of sand shot out, colliding with all of Yamato's clones and sending them hurtling towards the ring of sand. The instant their bodies passed over the ring, they ceased to exist, due to the thin, sharp spikes of sand that had risen from the ground to impale them.

"I realize it was not one of the conditions we agreed on beforehand," Yamato said calmly, "but I expected to see more than just sand."

The words were barely out of his mouth when a large hand composed of rock tore from the ground, grabbed his ankle, and tossed him toward Gaara… and more importantly, the ring of sand. But the Yamato that was soon speared through his midsection quickly turned into a split tree branch.

There was little time to search for the real Yamato, however, because the trees themselves began to attack Gaara: using their branches as spears and clubs, or in some cases, simply trying to fall on him. While the sand clones handled the smaller threats, the larger ones were knocked away with large hands of rock or sand.

"I see that you conserve your chakra when attacking, even though you have a great deal," Yamato commented, his voice echoing through the threes. "You have the makings of a very wise shinobi, Gaara. But you must be prepared to accept that any opponent who knows about Shukaku will do their best to push you, and him, to your limits. And in those cases, conservation will only get you killed, or worse."

Gaara did not visibly react as many saplings sprouted from the ground all around him, maturing into the thick, strong branches of a single tree in a matter of seconds. His sand ring was easily destroyed as the ground parted to make way for the immense tree's limbs, but Gaara did not attempt to move as the tree literally formed beneath his very feet, carrying him high into the air as it grew. So far, the tree had not actually attacked him, though everyone present knew that would change soon.

"Just so you know, Gaara, no one element can defeat this tree. If you wish to escape it, I am positive that you will need to combine two elements."

"If you are waiting for me to call out Shukaku," Gaara stated flatly, "then you will be disappointed. I will only use one element… but in two forms."

The ground began to shake violently for seemingly no reason, and in the next moment, two pillars of rock shot up from the earth, rising until each was at least a good thirty feet tall. But then, just as abruptly, they began to shrink. Instead of sinking back into the ground, however, the rock pillars collapsed on themselves, as if being crushed repeatedly by a giant, unseen hammer. Soon there was nothing left of the pillars, except for an enormous amount of sand on the ground.

Just as the tree started to attack Gaara, a gigantic hand formed in sand and wrapped around the tree's base, ripping it from the ground with just a flick of its wrist. The hand continued to rise up as an arm, a head, and then an upper body emerged, until there was a colossal sand clone of Gaara towering over the forest, waist deep in sand. Gaara only had to walk onto his clone's arm, as the tree either stopped attacking, or simply lost the ability to do so the moment it was torn out of the ground. Then, with a terrific crash, the clone turned the tree upside down and drove it back into the earth.

"I can fight without Shukaku taking over now," Gaara announced. "I am no longer his weapon. He is mine, and I will only unleash him when I see fit. I exist to become stronger, so that no one may ever control me again."

Yamato's voice rang out again. "That is not enough, Gaara. Who will you fight for?"

This was not a question that Gaara had ever posed to himself, at least not since he'd come to Konoha, so it took him a while to come up with an updated answer. "For the Sandaime, for giving me peace of mind. For Kakashi and Anko, for giving me a home. For those I hold vows to, and those who look at me with kindness in their eyes. For those I choose to defend. They are all under my protection."

"Then you have defeated me, Gaara," Yamato said as he walked into the open. "Congratulations."

The sand clone slowly began to fall apart, but Gaara's eyes did not leave Yamato, even when he was back on solid ground. "You are not restrained. You could still escape."

"True," Yamato agreed, "but I will not. I have been unable to harm you, and I do not think that will change. I will tell Hokage-sama that you are ready."

Gaara frowned, but suddenly decided he was hungry. Quickly collecting the excess sand in a ground nearly three times the size of the original, he turned and walked away.

After a few minutes, Kakashi walked up to Yamato, rubbing the back his head in an awkward sort of way.

"I thought we agreed," Yamato pointed out evenly, "that you would attack him while he was focused on me, in order to truly test his power."

"Well, I was going to," Kakashi admitted, "but then you made him start talking, and, uh… I couldn't do it. What did you expect? That I'd plant a Raikiri in his back right after what he said about me and Anko?"

"Yes, actually. That was largely the plan we agreed upon."

"Look, Yamato, he's… the closest thing I have to a son. And that's probably as close as he'll ever get to 'I love you, Dad.' What was I supposed to do, attack him and apologize later?"

"I don't really think it would've been necessary. Had you explained to him that it was part of the test, he would've accepted it. That is how much joining ANBU means to him. I could see it in his eyes."

"Maybe… but you wouldn't have to go home and explain yourself to Anko if you'd gone through with it."

It was impossible to tell, but Kakashi thought Yamato might have winced beneath his mask. "Also true."

* * *

Ayame was in a very good mood as she wiped down the counter and waited for Ichiraku Ramen's next customer. She had just turned fifteen the day before, and was still unusually happy about it. There was no real reason behind it: in fact, some would say she had a very good reason to be quite upset about one thing in particular.

Gaara, the only boy in the village who could make her heart pound just by looking at her, had not given her a birthday present. Ever. Not intentionally, anyway. But Gaara came into Ichiraku's so often that he had never failed to actually see Ayame on her birthday, at least. And considering just how happy the mere sight of him generally made Ayame, that was present enough. It would have been nice if he'd gone to the trouble of getting something, even if it were a horrible gift, just to show he was thinking of her in that way. Yet it was somehow equally nice when he came in, barely said two words to her, and then left, sometimes without even ordering, or worse, ordering and then not eating.

It was crazy, really. All of her friends and several of her customers thought that Gaara was rotten, or at least spoiled, based on what they'd seen when he came in. And they would look at Ayame like she was crazy when she defended him. For all his faults, Gaara was a loyal customer. He never paid himself or left tips, but the Hokage's office paid his tab every month, so it wasn't as if he was cheating them. Ayame had yet to see him eating anywhere else, other than the Dango Ditch, and he'd only gone there because it was Anko's birthday (she didn't get anything from him, either, which was strangely comforting).

But Ayame was old enough to realize several things about her relationship with Gaara. First, if he didn't want to see her as much as he did, he would simply eat somewhere else. Certainly the Hokage was willing to set up a tab anywhere Gaara wanted, partially because Gaara didn't eat that much. Second, Gaara was extremely picky about who touched him. The Sandaime could do it, Anko could do it, Kakashi MIGHT be able to, Hinata could do it, Sasuke might be able to (but wisely chose not to test his luck), and Hanabi certainly could do it. And even when those few people did touch him, Gaara never really reacted. This was not the case when Ayame touched him. He would instantly freeze and look directly at her, but not in a threatening way. It was like he had no idea what he was supposed to do with her… and Ayame found that to her liking, oddly enough. She didn't want Gaara to figure her out, at least not yet. He could spend days thinking over something that truly puzzled him, and anything that he solved was immediately put aside to make room for other matters in his head. Ayame didn't want to be put aside. She wanted Gaara to wonder about her all the time, to constantly ask himself why Ayame did the things she did. With any luck, she'd be the one puzzle he'd never be able to solve, the one that would never be far from his thoughts, the one he would gladly spend the rest of his life trying to conquer…

The thought made her smile, and that was how Gaara found her when he walked in a few minutes before the lunch crowd usually started arriving.

"You seem taller, Ayame," Gaara said, pulling her from her thoughts. "Are you standing on a box again?"

She pouted and placed her hands on her hips. "You're so mean sometimes, Gaara-kun! You shouldn't tease me that way! I happen to have grown! Can't you tell?"

Gaara stared at her for a long moment, and despite the fact that she'd invited him to, Ayame blushed under the attention. Finally, he closed his eyes and sat down. "It could be a number of things. Your shoes, your hair, or perhaps you lowered the counter."

"But you'd be able to tell if I did any of those things, wouldn't you?" Ayame asked, leaning over the counter slightly.

"Yes. Which is why I assumed you were using a box."

"Gaara-kun!" she whined, stomping her foot. Then she paused, peering closely at him. "Hey… what's wrong? You look upset."

He opened his eyes, clearly startled by her perceptiveness.

"Come on, you can tell me…" Ayame slid her hands across the counter and gently placed them over his own.

Gaara looked down at their hands for a few seconds before closing his eyes again. "Will you sit with me, Ayame? Just for a moment?"

She blinked in surprise. "Um, sure, but wouldn't you like some-"

"All I need right now is to remain calm. Your presence soothes me." He opened his eyes and stared directly at her. "Please. Sit."

Ayame absolutely hated the few seconds she had to let go of Gaara's hands to walk all the way around the counter, but it was worth it to sit next to him.

"I tested for ANBU today. Apparently I've been accepted, but… there was a point near the end of the test where my guard began to drop, and I can't help but feel it was the perfect time for someone to attack me, and that the opportunity was meant to be presented. Yet the only other person there was Kakashi. I don't know what to think about this."

"What's the problem if he didn't attack you?" Ayame asked slowly.

"I believe he was supposed to. Since he didn't… am I making him weaker somehow?"

"Did… you want him to attack you?"

"I expected it. I had another defense specially prepared for him. But now I wonder if he is losing his edge, and if that is somehow my fault."

"It's extremely difficult to hurt someone you care about on purpose," Ayame explained. "For example, if I was to slap you right now, I'd probably be in tears for the rest of the day. It's unnatural, to do something like that, Gaara-kun. It doesn't mean Kakashi is weak. It only means that he doesn't want to hurt you. Would you want to hurt Hinata-chan? Or Hanabi-chan?"

"No. But Kakashi is different. He trained me. He's supposed to hurt me from time to time. It's his job."

"He's also your guardian, Gaara-kun. Good guardians don't hurt the people they take care of. That's all it is, I'm sure."

Gaara didn't look convinced, but he stopped trying to argue the point, which Ayame took as a small victory. She moved off of her stool, took a step closer to Gaara, and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Having someone care about you is almost always a good thing, Gaara-kun. You shouldn't worry about this anymore. Kakashi can look after himself, and even then he's still got Anko to help. He'll be fine."

Gaara found that he wanted to believe her, and because of that, he did. Maybe this was Kakashi's way of thanking him for convincing Anko to get married, after all. It was probably nothing to be concerned about.

So why, then, did Gaara feel the need to get even stronger, the moment Ayame pulled back enough to look into his eyes?

**End of Chapter 7.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto and Kin have a date/spar. Sakura gets dirty, and Ino doesn't like it. Gaara learns more about his original seal from Karura.

Endnotes:

I don't know much Japanese, but I'm going to attempt translations so no one can complain.

Naruto's jutsu:

**Kaze Bakushin (Wind Rush):**

By focusing wind chakra at certain points on his body (feet and back), Naruto can run at extremely high speeds. He can also run up or down walls, but instead of relying on chakra to stick to the surface, Naruto uses sheer momentum, and, when that fails, a strong gust of wind to maintain his speed.

Yamato's jutsu:

**Moku Bunshin no Jutsu (Wood Clone Technique): **

This jutsu creates a wooden replica of the user. Unlike other clone techniques, the replica is grown from the user instead of just appearing. It can perform the user's techniques, but the damage it can endure is unknown.

**Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kōtan (Wood Release Secret Technique: Birth of Dense Woodland):**

A technique where the ninja uses his or her chakra to create the sapling of a great tree, and then continues to use their chakra to feed the root of the sapling. It grows, twists and winds through solid obstacles, and wraps around the ninja's enemy, trapping them in its branches. The tree can be grown further after its initial creation, creating a dense mass of branches and trunks that can obscure events inside.

Gaara's jutsu:

**Janomenosuna: **

Basically translates into a sand circle that typically surrounds a sumo ring. Gaara (or a sand clone) sprays sand into the air, where it quickly falls to the ground, forming a ring of sand. Anything that moves over the line is instantly impaled by a sand spike.

**Suna Kei (Sand Whip):**

One of Gaara's Sand Clones turns its arm(s) into a long tentacle of sand, which enables it to attack from a distance, or to maneuver foes into a trap.

**Doton: Henseigan (Earth Release: Metamorphic Rock):**

A basic technique that summons a type of rock that is more easily shaped by chakra. In Gaara's case, the most common shape is a large, grasping hand.

**Doton: Saiganki (Earth Release: Rock Crusher):**

Gaara raises one or more tall pillars of rock from the ground, then uses chakra to grind them down into a massive amount of sand in preparation for a major attack. Gaara can also grind down rocks that are already present, but the ones he draws from the ground are more suitable for his attacks.

**Oinaru Suna Bunshin (Great Sand Clone): **

("Borrowed" from Naruto: Narutimate Hero 3)

A more advanced version of Suna Bunshin in which Gaara uses an unfathomable amount of sand to create a giant Gaara clone.

I'm going to be telling my own version of how the Sound got involved with the Sand, obviously. Makes the story more interesting, and I can get away with more of my little changes. So don't get all excited and tell me I did it wrong, this is all done on purpose.

Yes, I realize Kin was not a nice person when she appeared in Konoha. I'm not changing her completely, just suggesting that she might be different when not on a mission as she was then. I'm confident I can transform her in a reasonable way before we get to that point, though.

I admit it, I've never seen Yamato fight, and you can only draw so much of a picture from written descriptions. That being the case, I saw no need to come up with any new Mokuton techniques, since all the ones I could think of only would have been variants of his existing ones (or just the really big one the Shodai Hokage was famous for).


	8. When A Boy Loves A Girl

Notes: You may not have noticed (hopefully I was subtle enough thus far), but I've been borrowing certain elements from other anime series. This will become more obvious by this chapter's end, or it should if you're a fan of big swords and demons. And I pretty much said all of that to tell you that I was listening to the opening theme of Gundam Seed Destiny ("Ignited") when the idea for this story came to me (I'm still watching it, so don't spoil it for me!).

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 8: When A Boy Loves A Girl**

* * *

_3 Years, 2 Months in Suna - January_

Tsuchi Kin knew very well that her teammates were pretty much jerks. Dosu was okay half of the time, since he was the smartest of the three, but didn't always find it necessary to remind them of that fact. Zaku, on the other hand, was convinced that he was the strongest on the team, and acted accordingly. Kin managed to put up with them, but with varying degrees of success.

Still, she had expected them to hear her entire explanation before they started disagreeing.

"What the hell, Kin?" Zaku snapped. "You invited a couple of weak brats to train with us? I always knew you were soft, but now you're letting everyone else see it, too!"

"We're not here to make friends unless they're of considerable importance," Dosu agreed, sounding very disappointed in her. "I thought you knew our orders, Kin."

"Both of you just shut up!" Kin barked at them. "Do you even know who they are? Or are you really stupid enough to brush off the Kazekage's children and ruin this whole deal for Orochimaru-sama?"

Zaku looked thoroughly stunned, but Dosu just blinked.

"Don't tell me I'm the only one that studied the profiles? How do expect to make nice with the important people in Suna if you don't even know their names when you hear them?"

"Well, what does it matter now?" Zaku grumbled. "You already did all the work."

"True," Kin sighed. "And I already told them you guys were asses, so all you have to do is act normal."

Zaku sneered at her. "You cocky little bit-"

"Are they strong?" Dosu interrupted.

Kin shrugged. "They almost have to be, don't they? And if they aren't, there's no reason to let them know that we know. In other words, nothing too flashy, and that means you, Zaku."

He snorted. "Like I'd waste my best moves on some spoiled punks. I bet they couldn't even stand up against plain taijutsu and nothing else."

"Oh, really? Care to make a little wager on that?" Kin asked. "Since you're so confident and all... why don't we say that if you lose, you have to tell Orochimaru-sama that some Suna genin beat you up?"

Zaku chuckled wickedly. "And WHEN you lose, I get to hack off your hair!"

"And in case of a draw," Dosu added wearily, "I shave you both bald and tell Orochimaru-sama that you're wasting valuable time with childish bets." He was vaguely amused by the fact that both Kin and Zaku glared at him, since they had never agreed on anything to date.

* * *

"You do know that it's not really a date, Naruto?" 

This line of questioning had proved fruitless so far, but Temari felt it was her duty as an older sister. She didn't like shooting down his hopes, but she had to protect him from his own innocence at times. From the moment they'd left home, Naruto had been boasting about his "date" with Kin. Someone had to set him straight before he embarrassed himself.

"Look, when a girl invites you train with her and her teammates, and tells you to bring your big sister along, it's not a date! I can't even express how far from a date that is!"

"Kin-chan said she was really looking forward to it!" Naruto insisted stubbornly. "It's a date!"

Temari sighed and shook her head. "Meg, help me out here. Tell him it's not a date."

Yawning, Meg poked her head out of Naruto's collar. "It's not a date. Not yet, anyway."

Naruto frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you obviously haven't done anything that makes her want to date you yet. You have to impress her first, and you can start by looking nice. Which means those dirt smudges on your whiskers have to go." Meg emerged a few more inches from Naruto's collar and began earnestly licking his cheek.

"Aw, Meg!" Naruto groaned, trying to push her head away.

"Don't worry, the chances of you getting kissed on a non-date like this are, rather fittingly, non-existent. Trust me, this is the most action you'll be getting for a while. Now hold still! At least people expect me to do it. If Temari does it, it'll be twice as embarrassing for you."

Naruto immediately saw Meg's point and stopped resisting. "So how do I get Kin-chan to go out with me?"

"Beating up her jerky teammates is a start. Nothing too rough, just make it clear that they never stood a chance. And from the sounds of them, they're likely to be insulting to everyone, Kin included. You make sure they don't get away with it. Defend her honor no matter what! If that doesn't get you a date, nothing will."

"Isn't there anything else I can do to impress her?" Naruto whined.

"Well, only one more thing I can think of," Meg answered, draping her long body around his neck. "You can show off your ultra-cute pet weasel. She liked your whiskers, so she probably likes animals."

Temari wasn't all that sure of Naruto's chances with Kin. The Sound-nin was just being nice, and probably didn't want to hurt Naruto's feelings by telling him he was too young to be dating at all, much less setting his sights on older girls. Temari just hoped it wouldn't end too badly. Naruto had been singing Kin's praises for a week, and since Kankurou had had to endure that the whole time, he'd be merciless if he found out things went sour.

All too soon, they came upon the appointed training field, and Temari knew at once that they weren't going to have an easy time of this. Kin looked slightly frustrated already, and one of her teammates was glaring openly at them. The other was harder to read because his face was almost entirely covered in bandages, but he didn't seem as hostile by comparison.

Naruto either didn't notice the tension in the air, or chose to ignore it completely. "Hi, Kin-chan!" he cried happily, running right up to her.

Kin was unable to stop herself from smiling down at him, though Temari noticed that she gave it considerable effort. "Hello, Naruto-kun."

Zaku looked particularly disgusted by the exchange. "Aw, don't tell me you're sweet on the brat, Kin! You're going to make our whole village look weak!"

"You shut up!" Naruto shouted, whirling around to glare at him. "I won't let you talk bad about Kin-chan!"

"Oh, yeah?" Zaku chuckled, taking a threatening step closer. "What are you gonna do about it, punk?"

Naruto hesitated for only a second. "I'll beat you right here! Using only one hand!"

"Uh, you're pushing it, kid," Meg whispered in his ear.

"I know what I'm doing!" he hissed back.

"But you don't know what HE can do. Be careful is all I'm saying."

"Fine!" Zaku laughed. "Just don't be surprised if you die from my first attack!"

Naruto smirked confidently as he turned back to Kin. "Hold Meg for me, Kin-chan? It's okay, she's really friendly."

"Uh, okay," Kin agreed, carefully taking the weasel from him. "Just watch yourself, Naruto-kun. Zaku talks big, but he isn't all talk."

He grinned at her. "Don't worry about me! I'm stronger than I look!"

"I'm sure you are, but-"

Meg loudly cleared her throat. "Kamaitachi Code of Battle # 254: Never lose to ANYONE with worse hair than you. You'll never live it down. At least, I won't let you. So kick his butt or live in shame, Naruto!"

Kin stared at Meg incredulously as Temari walked over and whispered, "Just ignore her, she gets chatty when... well, she's always like that. Just ignore her."

"You've got guts, kid," Zaku sneered as he and Naruto faced off. "Don't take it personal when I splatter them all over the ground."

"We'll see," Naruto replied, crouching slightly with his left hand behind his back.

Beneath his bandages, Dosu frowned. That was probably the worst stance he'd ever seen, and yet the kid was far too confident. Zaku had probably underestimated the blonde boy, but Dosu just wasn't sure by how much... yet.

With no warning at all, Zaku suddenly threw a pair of kunai. Predictably, Naruto dodged out of their path... and directly into the path of Zaku's next attack, which was a compressed blast of air that caught Naruto in his gut and knocked him to the ground hard.

Temari's eyes widened as she spotted what looked like holes in Zaku's hands. They were emitting a terrible roar that seemed to drown out every other noise in the area, and it only got worse when Zaku slammed his wrists together and fired another blast. This one left a slightly visible trail as it flew through the air, but Naruto was still trying to recover from the first hit, so he was unable to see, much less dodge the second. The blast caught him on the tip of his chin and flipped him over so that he landed face first in the sand.

By then, the third air blast was on it's way, traveling noticeably faster than either of the first two. Zaku's face was locked into a triumphant sneer, and it certainly looked like his victory was assured.

So he was understandably shocked when Naruto's body seemed to shift slightly to left and vanish into thin air. Before he could open his mouth to ask what had just happened, Naruto slid back into view mere inches from Zaku's face, but he was not alone. For in his right palm was a blue, glowing ball of chakra that pulsed as he drove it forward, directly in front of the two holes in Zaku's hands.

For an instant, the roar from Zaku's holes ceased, only to be replaced by an even louder roar as Naruto's chakra ball quickly expanded to five times it's original size, clearly feeding off of the air rushing from Zaku's hands. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, then filled with mischievous glee as he abruptly slid away again, leaving Zaku to handle the chakra ball. Unfortunately, Zaku had no idea how to do that, since he hadn't even thought to stop his own attack. A second later, the chakra ball was ten times its original size, easily dwarfing Zaku, who had a panicked look on his face as the ball pulsed again, and then exploded.

Temari and Kin only escaped the explosion because Meg chose that precise moment to yawn, which somehow encased all three of them in a protective bubble. Neither girl questioned it, since they very clearly saw Zaku's body get flung a good twenty feet into the air. As for Dosu, well... SOMEONE outside the bubble had to catch Zaku, and it certainly wasn't going to be Naruto.

As it was, Dosu very nearly didn't catch his more foolish teammate. He'd been a little busy trying to avoid the blast, which was fortunately more strong winds than anything else. Even as he ran, Dosu was trying to figure out how much of the blast was due to Zaku's attack, and how much was due to Naruto's. It was difficult to say, since no one had ever thought to try containing Zaku's Kuukijuu (Air Rifle), and none of them had ever seen anything like Naruto's jutsu before. The best explanation that came to him was that Zaku had overloaded Naruto's chakra ball, and everything that was trapped inside had instantly rushed out. Still, it would be foolish to assume that Naruto was unable to make the ball explode on his own without more proof. He'd certainly known enough to run away, hadn't he?

Dosu was already running through potential strategies and laid Zaku's unconscious body to the side. Naruto had reappeared was watching him warily, as if he already knew what Dosu was going to say next.

"That was... impressive," Dosu admitted slowly. "But I would like to test your abilities for myself, if you don't mind..."

Naruto simply nodded, making no move to tuck an arm behind his back this time. He'd only agreed to that for Zaku, anyway, and Dosu was somewhat honored by the fact that Naruto was taking him more seriously, as well he should have.

"Zaku's biggest problem is that he acts without thinking. I like to take my time, evaluate my options, and do things right."

Naruto frowned slightly. "So why are you telling me that?"

Dosu chuckled. "So you understand that I am not afraid to attack. I am simply determining the best way in which to attack, so that when I finally do, this will be over all the more quickly."

"Well, just so you know, nobody ever beat me by talking," Naruto added.

"You have never faced a Sound-nin before today," Dosu replied, "and my intentions will be nowhere near as obvious as Zaku's." With that, he casually tapped his fingernails against what looked like a large wristguard on his arm.

The effect was almost instant. One second, Naruto was merely standing there, looking bored, and the next, he was crying out as he sank to his knees, his hands clapped tightly over his ears.

Dosu was honestly a little surprised. His attack was always effective, but he hadn't expected Naruto to go down so fast, or to be quite so sensitive to it. For him to be suffering that much, his ears would almost have to have animal-like sensitivity... and sure enough, the weasel on Kin's arm seemed to be writhing just as much, if not more than the boy. Inspired by this revelation, Dosu considered boosting the power of the attack, just to see what would happen, but soon found it unnecessary. Blood was already streaming through Naruto's fingers, and Dosu had only used the lowest possible setting.

Dosu was so transfixed by the sight that he didn't notice Temari moving until her fan slammed into the side of his head, dropping him to the ground like a stone.

"That's enough for today," Temari stated coldly, replacing her fan on her back and scooping Naruto up protectively. "Meg, we're going."

Meg silently uncurled herself from Kin's arm and flew over to land lightly on Temari's shoulder.

Kin watched them go with a sinking feeling. She knew very well that if Dosu had really wanted to hurt Naruto, he'd be bleeding from more than just his ears. Still, she felt guilty for not having warned him, especially when he'd been trying to impress her, but she'd just assumed he'd tough it out like he had with Zaku. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," she murmured softly.

* * *

"Tell me what happened," Temari demanded the instant Naruto was able to hear properly without discomfort. 

Naruto scowled at her more out of habit than anything else. He wasn't a baby, and there had been no need for her to carry him all the way home. Although, his ears HAD really been hurting, and he hadn't known pain like that for quite some time.

"Hold on, Kyuubi's explaining it to me," he muttered, earning a concerned look from Temari. "It hurt him, too. Or... well, HE says it just really pissed him off, but I bet it hurt. And... STOP SHOUTING, FOX, I CAN HEAR YOU FINE, AND YOU WERE SO HOWLING!"

Temari didn't dare interrupt, partially fearing that Kyuubi might be the one who answered her. She had accepted that Naruto could talk to the demon, but actually watching them argue when she could only hear one side... well, it was just weird.

"Okay," Naruto said a few seconds later. "Kyuubi says he didn't trust any of the Sound-nin. He did something to my ears to make them more sensitive, just in case they tried something sneaky. But it backfired, since Dosu's attack focused on my ears, so it hurt more than it would have normally. By the time the attack started, it was too late to do anything about it. My ears are fine now, and Kyuubi won't do that around Sound-nin anymore, unless there's a good reason."

This was only somewhat reassuring to Temari, but it was better than nothing. "Fine. But I hope now you're ready to accept that maybe it's not a good idea to take on all comers without doing a little research first."

"How could I? It was only the second time I've even seen Sound-nin!" Naruto protested. "There's no records of them here to study, you didn't tell me very much, and even Kyuubi only knew what he read from that hidden file in the Kazekage's office, so what… oh."

Temari was staring at him very hard now. "We'll deal with that later. Right now, I want you to promise me you won't get too chatty with Kin, at least not about anything that could be used against you or us."

"But why? Kin-chan is nice, and she-"

"Promise me, Naruto," Temari insisted. "If she fled overnight, she'd have knowledge of one of your attacks, and that your ears can be used against you. Do see why this is so dangerous now?"

His face fell. "But Kin-chan IS nice, Temari! She's one of the only people who was ever nice to me…"

"I'm just saying be careful around her, and any other Sound-nin. Right now, they know more about you than you do about them, and that is never good."

* * *

_3 Years, 3 Months in Konoha - February_

"Don't fall asleep."

That was always Gaara's mantra when he meditated. And the only reason the repetition didn't put him to sleep was the brief image of Shukaku's maniacal, grinning face between each statement. The last time Gaara had heard the demon's voice was when the Sandaime Hokage had been applying the seal. Based on Shukaku's howls of protest and rage at the time, Gaara assumed that when next they spoke, it would not be a pleasant conversation.

But as much as Gaara hated Shukaku, he was not too proud to admit that as strong as he was alone, with the demon's aid, he'd be even stronger. Trying to talk to Shukaku had never gotten him anywhere, so Gaara could only hope that sleeping for a few years had given the demon time to calm down. It was unlikely, though, since Shukaku had never even been anything approaching calm, which had always been one of their biggest problems.

It would also be extremely dangerous to attempt any contact with Shukaku. Thanks to the Seal of the Black Sun, the only way for Shukaku to wake up at all was for Gaara to be at least half-asleep. The closest Gaara was willing to get was trance-like meditation, since it fooled his body into thinking it was asleep, but kept him alert enough to hopefully break the connection at once if the need arose.

Fortunately, the seal seemed to sense what Gaara was trying to do, and weakened enough to give Shukaku a slight jolt into wakefulness. The result was instant, but far from what Gaara had been expecting. Instead of simply hearing the demon's voice, Gaara felt the odd sensation of being yanked through the air, even though his physical body didn't move at all. The next thing Gaara knew, he was standing ankle-deep in a liquid that looked like blood, but smelled strangely like the strong drinks that his father had always preferred.

"Gaara?" asked a startled voice behind him. "Why are you here?"

Though he knew what he would find when he turned to look, Gaara's heart still skipped a beat or two. He had seen his mother walking and talking before, but only as sand. Now she stood before him, in flesh and blood, and somehow it was enormously different, as well as something he was not really prepared for.

Karura did not wait for him to answer, however. She rushed forward, wrapped Gaara in a fierce, quick hug, then grabbed his hand and began leading him through what seemed to be a large, dark cavern.

"We need to hurry! Shukaku will wake up at this rate!" she said over her shoulder, doing her best to keep them moving at a steady pace.

"Then there is no need to hurry," Gaara replied, coming to a complete stop. "I will speak with him."

"NO!" Karura cried with a stricken expression, just before she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Gaara, you cannot speak to him yet! He is still too powerful! You must give us more time to restrain him!"

That got Gaara's attention. "Who else is here?"

Karura paused, the fear obvious in her eyes. "I think the answer would only upset you, my son."

Gaara's eyes narrowed. He could not harm his mother, of course, and he knew she would try to block his path if he insisted on moving forward. His sand would also be useless, since she could probably command it even better than he could. But she could not block his senses, so it was a simple matter for Gaara to detect another familiar scent in the air.

His mother was right: the identity of her assistant did upset him, but he would not be denied his right to face them. He took a step forward, and Karura placed her hands on his shoulders.

"It will do no good, Gaara. He cannot leave, any more than I can. We are all bound to Shukaku now."

Gaara stared at her uncertainly. "Explain."

Sighing, Karura sank to her knees, took his hands in hers, and gently laced her fingers through his. "I'm going to mold some chakra, and I want you to watch what happens."

There was a slight pause, and then Gaara felt a warm sensation on his forehead, where he knew his scar was. But in the darkness, he could also tell there was a bright red light originating from that area, as it was reflected on his mother's face. Then his gaze drifted downward, and he saw with a great deal of surprise that his mother's midsection was giving off the same light, even through her clothing.

"There is no single seal that can hope to contain a greater demon," Karura stated softly. "Multiple seals were necessary to place Shukaku in you, and even more were needed to do so while I was pregnant with you. I suspect that one or more of them bound my soul to the sand, and you as well. Still another is most likely capable of binding other souls to you and adding their powers to your own, under certain conditions."

"Then why is Yashamaru here?" Gaara demanded, anger slipping back into his voice. "He said he never loved me! That he hated me! Why would he come here? Why are you protecting him?"

"Love," she whispered, caressing his cheek tenderly. "You are right, Gaara. My brother isn't here for you. He's here for me. He loves only me, and I love him. But I love you as well, and for me, he's willing to help you. This is what it means, to love someone so much that you would do anything for them. Yashamaru willingly imprisoned his soul here, so he could be with me. Only with his help have I been able to increase the power of the Sandaime Hokage's Seal of the Black Sun over your body. You have no idea how much his presence has helped you. But if you ever decide to learn medical jutsu, you will see his talents shining through you."

"Yashamaru... is helping me?" Gaara whispered. "All because of you?"

"Yes, my son. Hate him, if you must. But I cannot allow you to harm him. I have told him much the same thing."

"You trust him, then?"

She nodded. "He will not harm you, since to do so would be harming me and himself as well."

Gaara considered this. His mother's advice had yet to prove unhelpful to him, and he no longer believed that she did not care when he suffered. If she trusted Yashamaru, then there was no real point in confronting him, especially if doing so might disturb Shukaku somehow.

"Where were you taking me before?" he asked at last.

"To one of Shukaku's treasure rooms."

It took a few seconds for that to sink in. "Why?"

Karura smiled at him. "Shukaku is a demon who loves war, Gaara. What do you think he would consider treasure?"

"Anything that can kill someone, painfully."

"Yes. And while many of his treasures are just glorified torture devices, one of them might actually be useful to you."

A few minutes later, Gaara found himself staring down at a sword on a pedestal. He had not seen many swords in his short life, but this was quite clearly an odd one. For one thing, the hilt bore the same tan skin and bluish markings as Shukaku. The long blade widened the further it got from the hilt, and ended in a large, curved tip, which put Gaara in mind of a giant hook. Overall, the sword looked heavy, even for someone accustomed to carrying a gourd filled with sand everywhere. Yet, the thought of having his sand pick up the sword never occurred to Gaara. His hand seemed to be drawn to the hilt, and he soon realized why.

The instant his fingers brushed the hilt, it came life, much like his sand, and simply flowed over his hand as easily as a glove would. Gaara was not alarmed by this, being far too used to Shukaku's limbs suddenly replacing his own. The sword wasn't doing that, however: Gaara's arm was still there, and he could feel his hand under the lumpy mass of flesh that now made up the hilt. All of the sword's weight was centered on that point, but Gaara could feel almost none of it. It bothered him no more than holding chopsticks would have.

"In times of need, the sword will speak to you, and tell you exactly how to unlock its power," Karura explained. "Now that it has accepted you, you should have no trouble summoning it to your arm."

"What about Shukaku?" Gaara asked. "Will he give me any trouble for taking the sword?"

"I doubt it. From what I can tell, you've had access to this place from the moment Shukaku was placed within you. He had made no attempts to hide it, and if he didn't want you to have the sword, it would have rejected you. He might even be impressed that you dared to take something of his, and it's not as if he won't know where it is." She paused, lowering her voice slightly. "Gaara… you must use this sword, and any other resources you have, to protect your friends, and especially Ayame. You do not wish to know what would happen to you if you failed in that."

Gaara closed his eyes. "Then I must grow stronger still. There are still several people in Konoha that can defeat me. I will carry out your will, okaa-san."

"No, my son. My will has changed."

He slowly opened his eyes, looking up to see her staring off into the distance.

"My revenge will wait. This is more important… to both of us."

Gaara blinked. "But this is why I was created…"

Karura shook her head. "Before Shukaku… before the Kazekage set his sights on you… you had a far simpler purpose, Gaara. You were created to be my little boy. You existed because I would not be able to. You were born to take my place in the world." She knelt down and drew him into her arms. "Suna will still be there years from now. But if you leave Ayame unprotected, she will die, and nothing I or Yashamaru could do will stop you from losing your soul to darkness."

Those words stood out in Gaara's mind as he prepared to leave the mindscape that Shukaku had created. He cast one last long look at his mother, and was not quite surprised to see a second figure emerge from the shadows to stand beside her.

Yashamaru had not changed at all from the last time Gaara had seen him. He still wore the bloodstained chuunin vest, although there was significantly more blood than Gaara remembered. Whatever work he was performing to keep Gaara whole, it was painful work. But there was no regret or pain in Yashamaru's eyes when he took Karura's hand in his own. Gaara could only see love in his uncle's face, and for the first time, he was certain that this side of Yashamaru had been authentic.

There were no words exchanged as Gaara's eyes locked with Yashamaru's. Instead, remembering what his mother had told him, Gaara merely raised his hand and waved.

Yashamaru's eyes widened in shock, but slowly, he raised his free hand and waved back.

Gaara closed his eyes as he returned to the world outside of his mind. From now on, whenever he thought of his uncle, he would remember this version of Yashamaru: standing beside his mother, waving hesitantly, with an almost hopeful smile on his lips.

* * *

Yamanaka Ino was not usually one to notice little things. Truth be told, she rarely noticed anything that didn't connect directly to her own life, and this was not entirely her own fault. Her father had spoiled her from the day she'd been born, and the thought of stopping simply had never occurred to him. She was his little princess, and even worse, she knew it. 

But when Ino did notice something, and it held her interest long enough, she would never let it go until she had figured it out completely. This trait, ironically, had probably developed from exposure to Shikamaru, who was content to let life pass him by without troubling anyone or anything, so if Ino wanted something done, she just had to do it herself. Being spoiled, however, she was never happy about that, and generally made the life of anyone standing in her way miserable until she'd reached her goal.

The only puzzle Ino had never solved, out of fear for her own life, was why Sabaku no Gaara was allowed to walk the streets without a muzzle, or SOMETHING to keep him in check. To this day, she never went anywhere alone if she could help it, either dragging Shikamaru or Sakura along. Shikamaru complained, of course, but usually went along, either because he truly had nothing better to do, or because he genuinely worried over what might happen if Ino ran into Gaara a second time. Sakura hadn't minded one bit, once Ino explained why they had to be together so much... at least, at first.

And then, something had changed.

Sakura had stopped spending time with the popular girls, stopped worrying about how she looked when she went out, and stopped worrying about what Sasuke thought of her.

That wasn't all, though.

Sakura had started training, every day, sometimes ALL day if she could get away with it. Ino hadn't been able to believe it at first, but then she would come across a familiar pink-haired girl in the street, covered in dirt and reeking of sweat, and she only knew one girl with pink hair.

Ino could not even begin to imagine what had caused such an abrupt change, and Sakura refused to talk about it. They barely talked at all anymore, which bothered Ino more than she cared to admit. She wanted to believe that Sakura was still her best friend, but the label didn't seem to fit as well as it once had. Sure, Sakura was still nice enough when they did meet, but she would always have to get back to training after only a few minutes had passed, and leave Ino alone with her troubled thoughts.

A rather large piece of the puzzle had come when Ino finally discovered who Sakura was doing all this training with. That answer had only confused her all the more, though. It was hard enough, watching Sakura turn into a total stranger. But watching her turn into a stranger that could willingly spend over twenty hours a day in Inuzuka Kiba's presence was just disturbing. Yet, it was true. Sakura was one of the few non-Inuzuka who could walk onto their land without fear of being attacked by their dogs (in a sense, at least; many of the dogs were fond of knocking Sakura down so they could lick her face or, strangely, sniff her hair).

But just when Ino started to think she had lost her best friend for good, they ran into each other in one of the few clothing stories that catered to both civilians and ninja. Ino had been looking for a new outfit for special occasions. Sakura, on the other hand, had just purchased a pair of black, fingerless gloves that were especially made to assist in molding chakra. Ino accidentally bumped into Sakura, and was just about to snap at her when she realized who it was.

"Sakura," she breathed, as if they hadn't seen each other in ages.

Sakura looked a little surprised as well. "Hi, Ino…"

At first, Ino could think of nothing to say as she stared at Sakura. She looked so... different. The most startling change was that Sakura had cut her hair, which she had always been so proud of, down to shoulder length. It was a fairly common rumor in the village that Sasuke preferred girls with long hair, and Ino had Sakura had spent hours discussing which style was the best. It was the biggest indicator that Sakura was done with obsessing over Sasuke, but that wasn't all that Ino saw. It was also one more activity they would never do together... one more sign that she and Sakura had less and less in common, and even less of a reason to be friends.

The realization must have been obvious on Ino's face, because Sakura suddenly reached out and gently grasped her hand. "Ino, what is it? What's wrong?"

Ino couldn't say anything. Sakura's hands, once smooth and unblemished, now felt more like a boy's: rough, calloused, and far too strong. She was probably imagining it, but Ino thought she could see the start of hardened muscles in Sakura's bare arms, too.

It was all too much for her mind to take at once.

"I... I have to go," Ino whispered, trying to back away. But Sakura didn't release her hand.

"I really think we should talk, Ino," Sakura insisted. "We need to. It's been too long, and-"

"No," Ino interrupted, "that's okay. You're busy, I'm busy, and we're not really-"

"I miss you, you know."

Ino paused, certain she'd heard wrong. "What?"

"I know I'm changing," Sakura sighed, "but that doesn't mean I don't want to stay friends. We just have to work a little harder to find things we can do together. Like... bench pressing! How much do you weigh?"

Ino gaped at her.

Sakura smiled. "That was a joke."

"Oh. Right." Ino blinked a few times. "Which part?"

"Never mind. Listen, I'm supposed to meet up with Kiba after this. Why don't you come along? You don't have to train with us or anything. You could just watch, so you don't have to wonder what we're doing when we're all alone."

Ino made a face. "I don't think I want to see that..."

"Ino, we only TRAIN. Anyway, Kiba is my friend. I don't think of him that way."

"Yeah? Has he ever licked you?"

"INO!" Sakura cried, but her face was bright red.

"That's not really an answer, is it?"

"I had powdered sugar on my fingers, and there weren't any napkins!"

Ino smirked. "And you forgot how to lick your own fingers?"

"Of course not! But, well, Kiba, he's just so FAST when there's food involved, and I didn't want to hurt his feelings or insult him, you know, in case that was something they did all the time in his clan, so, um..."

"Come on, Sakura. Not even Chouji's family would buy that excuse. Although with them you'd probably lose the finger entirely."

Sakura shook her head. "I hate to say it, but I miss this, too."

"Yeah... me, too," Ino murmured softly.

"So come with me! Oh, but you should probably change into something you don't mind getting dirty and/or wet. Akamaru is sweet, but right now his aim is terrible."

Ino frowned. "His aim? What does that mean?"

"I don't think I should tell you," Sakura replied with a grim smile. "But come with me, anyway! Please, Ino?"

"Oh, alright. But if anything or anyone licks me without permission, you're on your own."

**End of Chapter 8.**

* * *

Endnotes: 

Naruto's jutsu:

**Kaze Kyuu (Wind Sphere):**

Naruto forms a palm-sized, spinning ball of purified wind chakra, and can use it for a variety of things: catching small projectiles, cushioning to brace for impact, or even serving as projectiles themselves which cause a small explosion on impact.

Meg's jutsu:

**Ten'yuu (Divine Aid): **

A technique that has a random beneficial effect when used.

Zaku's jutsu:

**Kuukijuu (Air Rifle):**

Zaku fires multiple "air bullets" with both hands, each bullet having more speed and force than the last. Most targets are blasted to pieces by the sixth consecutive bullet.

Dosu's jutsu:

**Kyomeisen (Vibrating Sound Drill):**

Dosu is equipped with a special speaker implanted into his wrist that amplifies sound waves and greatly strengthens his sound-based attacks. This particular jutsu can damage an opponent's inner ear, throwing off their balance and making them nauseous. Dosu can also control the sound waves in midair, ensuring that reach their target.

The Tanuki Nail:

A shifting sword made from Shukaku's flesh that can change its coating based on what the wielder wishes to achieve.

Next Chapter: Naruto gets a promise from Orochimaru. Gaara confronts the man indirectly responsible for his creation. Hanabi gets a hand-me-down from Gaara on HIS birthday...


	9. Gifts from the Heart

Notes: Yes, I'm aware that there's another "Desert Fox," and no, I'm not trying to make any connection between him and any character involved in this story. It's just that all the really cool nicknames get taken and then get re-used. Anyway, nothing really fits better in this case.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 8: Gifts from the Heart**

* * *

_Secret Location, Year 11 After Kyuubi's Defeat - January_

"It is just as you suspected. Every day, more and more villagers rally behind the power of the Desert Fox. He is growing too strong too quickly. In time, he may even challenge your authority directly."

Mizuki frowned as his old comrade continued the report. The world was indeed a small place, as far as he could tell. It had been years since he'd last seen Iruka, and even longer since they'd had a real mission together. That they would suddenly be assigned to work together again was an unwelcome surprise. They had never really gotten along, and Mizuki was convinced that Iruka was always trying to upstage him.

Still, the situation was very odd. Iruka had been called in from Suna, and Mizuki had come from Konoha, just so they could secretly meet with the Lord of Wind Country, who was convinced they were actually his undercover agents operating in the Sand and the Leaf, respectively. The man had to be a total fool, as Mizuki and Iruka had only met him three times each, and yet he still placed enough trust in them to meet while all his guards were busy protecting a fake Wind Lord. Then again, this was the same man that had weakened the Sand to the point where they felt it necessary to unleash Shukaku on the world again. Most people with any sense had learned not to put too much faith in his decisions. Was it any wonder that his people would rather believe in the power of the Kyuubi brat?

Mizuki had to admit that the current Kazekage was a genius. He had manipulated Konoha into giving up a prize any other Hidden Village would be eager to claim, and had unloaded his own little mistake on them in the process. While it was true that Gaara was incredibly powerful, even he would be no match for the Kyuubi in a fight to the death, and the Kazekage would of course know both his own son's (and Shukakau's) weak points. Now the people of Suna loved the Kyuubi brat as much as they hated and feared Gaara. He was their hero... and he obeyed only the Kazekage. That was the kind of leader Mizuki could get behind... and he would, as soon as he had a clear shot at defecting to Suna. He couldn't risk Iruka ratting him out, though. After that last snag was taken care of, everything else would fall into place...

"And that is why I strongly suggest you take the necessary steps to exterminate the Kyuubi."

Mizuki's head snapped to the right to stare at a grim-faced Iruka. They'd probably both been thinking along the same lines, but Iruka had made that suggestion sound more like an order.

The Wind Lord slowly stroked his beard. "That is a drastic step... but I refuse to be overthrown by a mere boy. If that is what it takes, then I will give the task to my best men."

Iruka smiled. "A wise choice. I think a celebration is in order. I took the liberty of hiring the best ramen chef around to serve us a special meal. I promise you'll never eat another bowl like it."

Now Iruka really was going too far. But the door was already sliding open, and Mizuki could see the ramen chef carrying in a tray with three bowls on it. He took a second look at the chef, however. The guy was short, short enough to be a kid, dressed all in black, and wearing a black straw hat that completely hid his face. Mizuki smoothly slid a hand behind his back, fingering the kunai he'd stashed there. He had no intention of dying from poisoned ramen.

The Wind Lord finally showed some intelligence, and stood up in alarm. "Hold on! How do I know this chef can be trusted?"

"There is no need to be concerned," the ramen chef said in a voice like gravel. "I have not come here to harm anyone. I am here for only two reasons. The first is to deliver a joint message, from both the Sandaime Hokage and the Fire Lord, as a favor to the Yondaime Kazekage."

Everyone else in the room froze. What could have possibly united three such powerful people under one cause?

"The message is this: No more mistakes will be tolerated." With that, the ramen chef dropped his tray. It had barely left his fingers when three large hands of sand flew from the bowls and wrapped around the Wind Lord, Mizuki, and Iruka before they could move to defend themselves.

"No!" the Wind Lord screamed as the sand began to enclose his head. "You said you weren't here to harm me!"

"This is true," the ramen chef agreed. "The second reason I am here is to kill you. But you will feel no pain. You have my word on that." The ramen chef slowly removed his hat.

Mizuki's eyes bulged. "No! NO! Shukaku's vessel!"

An eerie smile stretched across Gaara's face. "One of you created me, by creating a need for me. Another will soon be guilty of betraying his village. And the other... is just very unfortunate." With a mere gesture, Mizuki and the Wind Lord were completely enclosed, and then devoured by Gaara's sand. There were no screams, no blood, and no chance of escape. Iruka swallowed hard as Gaara's gaze landed solely on him.

"If you do not have the password, you will die here."

Iruka shuddered and closed his eyes tightly. "The tanuki sleeps where the kitsune fell."

"Very well," Gaara sighed, sounding strangely disappointed as he released Iruka. "Unless you have a message for the Hokage, I'm leaving."

He was so shaken up by the sight of seeing Mizuki, a comrade he'd known for years, die instantly, without a trace, that Iruka almost said nothing. Then he remembered that there was something else.

"When you return to Konoha, a package will be waiting for you. It will be from your sister."

Gaara paused, a frown slowly appearing on his lips. "Temari...?"

"She hasn't forgotten you, Gaara. That is all I have to say."

For a long moment, Gaara simply stood there, an unreadable expression on his face. Finally, he held out his hat to Iruka. "Give it to Naruto."

Iruka's eyes widened. "It's impossible for me to get that close to him. He'd recognize me for sure."

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "It was not a request."

"I'm the only eye that the Hokage has in Suna," Iruka tried to explain. "If I die, chances are good he won't risk sending anyone else. The best I can do is give this to Temari. She'll almost certainly show it to him, anyway."

This seemed to satisfy Gaara. "All that matters is the scent."

Iruka didn't know what to say to that, so he just took the hat.

"Hokage-sama speaks very highly of you," Gaara stated. "If you ever give him reason to change his mind, you'll see me again."

Such threats did not actually carry too much weight with Iruka anymore. He had started out spying from the outside, and had slowly worked his way inside the inner workings of Suna. The trouble now was that while everyone expected him to send his findings back to Konoha, they just had no idea how much he was sending back through other means. If he were caught, death would be the least of his worries.

The truly worrisome thing was that Iruka's top priority, at all times, was supposed to be keeping tabs on Naruto. But now that Naruto had become an essential cog in the Suna machine, writing reports on him often included mentioning his standing in on certain meetings that Iruka would have been a fool not to provide the details of.

Iruka was in too deep, and Naruto was in even deeper. The only difference was that Naruto arguably had the power to break away whenever he wanted, while Iruka had long since accepted that the only way he might be returning to Konoha was in many, many pieces.

* * *

For the first few years of her life, much of the Hyuuga Clan assumed, not entirely inaccurately, that Hyuuga Hanabi was not right in the head. This would have been insulting, had Hanabi not been inclined to agree with them at certain points.

The first sign that something was... off had occurred shortly after Hanabi learned to single out her older sister from all the other relatives. Hinata's voice was soft, her eyes kind, her smile heartfelt, and most notably, she was the only one who ever bothered to hug and kiss Hanabi, whether she had a good reason or not.

And, for some unknown reason, she always had an invisible woman following her around.

At first, Hanabi had thought she was imagining the woman, and that was why no one else could see her. But sometimes she would see similar people following her other relatives, or other villagers, and knew they could not all be originating from her mind. Even Gaara had one, although his invisible woman occasionally gave off peculiar flashes of color, as if someone had splashed paint on her.

None of the invisible people could speak... or, if they could speak, Hanabi couldn't hear them. She had learned to read lips early on so this wouldn't be a hindrance, but it didn't help much. The people only spoke in broken fragments, and the ones Hanabi wasn't familiar with were especially difficult to understand. The only one Hanabi had ever gotten a complete sentence out of was also the only one she recognized: her late uncle Hizashi.

That was Hanabi's first clue that these invisible people were actually spirits of the dead. That information was not the least bit comforting, but Hizashi had given her some valuable advice all the same.

"Your Byakugan is different from the others, not weaker, and it means you will see and know things others could never even begin to guess." After that, she had not seen Hizashi since, as if that one statement had used up all of his time in the afterlife.

It had been a while before Hanabi figured out that she could not use her Byakugan at will. It pretty much had a mind of its own, and seemed to activate in only two cases: whenever it wanted, or whenever a spirit was within her field of vision. If there was no spirit nearby, then Hanabi would see a vision, usually of something that made no sense at the time, but would later prove quite useful. For example, a week before she'd met Gaara at Sasuke's party, she had "seen" Hinata kissing his cheek. So when she'd actually met Gaara, she instantly trusted him. On the other hand, she had also "seen" Hinata attacking Sasuke with a sword. In that vision, they'd both been older than they were currently, but as a result, Hanabi did not trust the Uchiha (she was also very worried, since Hinata had shown no interest in swords, and only a few Hyuuga elders even owned one, all of which were purely for decorative purposes).

Hanabi had told no one of the way her Byakugan actually worked. Several times she came close to telling Hinata, but she did not want to also have to tell her sister that Sasuke was possibly a traitor that she would have to strike down herself one day. Anyway, Hizashi's tone had made it seem like this was something that should stay between the two of them (or just with her, since she hadn't seen him since). She had no desire to become the official Hyuuga Fortune Teller, especially since she had no control over her gift, and there was no point in getting her father excited only to disappoint him (he NEVER took that well). She wasn't too worried about being disowned for weakness, either. So far, her gifts had probably saved her life twice, and she was confident that they wouldn't desert her so long as she always took the warnings seriously.

* * *

_4 Years, 2 Months in Konoha - January_

Gaara was exhausted (by only his standards, though; anyone without demonic chakra would be dead on their feet, or just dead) by the time he set foot in Konoha a few days later. He had walked almost nonstop after completing his mission, having been so distracted by Iruka's message.

He could not figure out what Temari would send him, and why she wouldn't have sent it earlier. Nor could he decide how he should feel about this mysterious package and its contents. He'd had a long time to consider his feelings for his siblings, and had ultimately decided that while they had feared him, they had never purposely set out to hurt him (if only for fear of what he would do in retaliation). He could remember a few instances when Temari had tried to pacify him with a meal she'd prepared herself, or some activity she hoped would hold his interest for a while. More than that, he remembered her nervous laughter and forced smiles. The strange thing was that Gaara did not believe he would be opposed to hearing or seeing either again, though he was unable to determine why exactly.

The Sandaime Hokage didn't keep him long after the report was filed. He obviously realized that something was on Gaara's mind, and almost immediately dismissed him so Gaara could deal with it. Although the Sandaime did inform him that since both Anko and Kakashi were away on missions, the package had been inspected by, and entrusted solely to Hyuuga Hinata, who had also been informed of his return the moment he passed through the gate, and was most likely on her way to the Hokage Tower presently.

This information did not bother Gaara. He seriously doubted that Temari would send anything intensely personal that should remain between the two of them (in fact, he could think of nothing that fit into that category). He also preferred that Hinata or perhaps Hanabi be the only ones to handle such a package, although Hanabi's natural curiosity and odd fascination with him might have delivered the package to him with one of the flaps noticeably loosened (and even that Gaara probably wouldn't have minded too much).

So he was not really surprised when Hinata appeared shortly afterwards, package in hand, and explained in a slightly exasperated tone that Hanabi had insisted on tagging along, having pestered her for days on the nature of the contents. Hanabi, for her part, looked completely unrepentant, and Gaara truly expected nothing less from her. If he ever saw Hanabi apologize for anything sincerely, he would immediately know her to be an imposter, and would instantly crush her, no questions asked.

Therefore, Gaara felt perfectly justified in forcing Hanabi to wait until they had all walked to Anko's apartment. Hinata almost laughed when Gaara "forgot" to open the package, even when they'd been there for a good five minutes. Hanabi finally offered a hasty apology to her sister, and while she didn't mean a word of it, Hinata graciously accepted it, and Gaara opened the package.

Inside was a small scroll bearing Gaara's name in Temari's neat handwriting, and a stuffed brown bear that Gaara instantly recognized as the one thing his mother had left him in death. Because he did not immediately reach for it, Hanabi lifted it out of the box to inspect for herself. It was old, but only slightly worn and very clean. Temari had obviously gone to great lengths to keep it in good condition.

Hinata read the scroll to him, since he continued to stand there. Temari basically apologized for many things, none of which Gaara actually blamed her for, and ended by hoping that her writing him hadn't completely ruined his birthday.

Gaara blinked. Was that why she'd sent this? Just because it was his birthday? Temari had never sent him anything before, and the only reason Gaara ever remembered his birthday at all was because Anko usually insisted on making a big deal out of it.

"I thought you said your sister was older than you," Hanabi remarked, still clutching the bear to her chest as she looked at Gaara. "So why would she send you something like this?"

While he didn't have a definite answer, Gaara could only guess that Temari had hoped the childhood possession would comfort him somehow. It didn't really, although it did remind Gaara of the few peaceful moments he'd had alone as a child. They were by no means happy, but any peace he'd had back had been welcome.

"You may keep the bear, Hanabi," Gaara decided. "I no longer have any use for it. Perhaps it will provide you with the comfort that eluded me."

Hanabi's eyes widened in surprise, and she gaped at him for an instant. Gaara never gave anyone anything (not in the physical sense, anyway). "Thank you, Gaara. I promise to take good care of it."

Hinata smiled brightly. "You see, Hanabi-chan? Having an older, wiser sister isn't always a burden."

Hanabi simply stuck her tongue out at Hinata and hugged her new bear a little tighter.

Gaara merely sat down on the couch and closed his eyes as the Hyuuga sisters continued to bicker good-naturedly. Could Hinata be right about Temari? Was she still trying to look out for him, even now? Any other time, Gaara would have been offended by the thought that he needed protecting from anything other than Shukaku. Now he thought of all the cold glares and unfeeling words he had given her when they were young, and wondered how she could still care for him.

"Temari..." he murmured, suddenly aware of a familiar ache in his chest. "I am the one who is sorry. Forgive me..."

* * *

_4 Years, 4 Months in Suna - March_

"Orochimaru-sama! He's coming!"

Though he had asked to be notified of the boy's approach, the "Otokage" (as Kabuto liked to teasingly call him in private) smiled as he realized that the warning was completely unnecessary. Anyone who crossed paths with the Kyuubi always remembered the feel of his chakra, especially when the user was doing very little to hide it. At the moment, Naruto was little more than a blazing pillar of fire as he ran across the desert, leaving a large path of heated glass in his wake. He'd no doubt be able to slide all the way back to his village if he so desired.

Orochimaru chuckled to himself as he made his way to the front of small contingent of Sound-nin he'd brought along with him. They were largely composed of former mercenaries, and it was always best to keep a close eye on them. Unlike missing-nin who pledged loyalty to the Sound, some mercenaries still considered themselves "on the market" even now, and might be tempted to change sides in the middle of a battle, for the right price. The only traitors that Orochimaru suffered were those willing to serve him faithfully (and those, like Kabuto, who were as amusing as they were useful). He would probably have to make an example out of someone pretty soon. Possibly Naruto would be up for it, since his methods could be particularly gruesome when he was angry, and he had to be mad in order to waste as much chakra as he was now.

Sure enough, there was a firm scowl plastered on Naruto's face as he stopped a respectful distance away. He flared the fire pillar around him a few times before letting it die out, just to intimidate the Sound-nin. That had definitely been the Yondaime Kazekage's idea; he liked to constantly remind allies and enemies alike that Naruto was the best weapon available to any Hidden Village, but that he belonged entirely to the Sand.

Orochimaru was more of the opinion that such a weapon belonged to whoever could convince it to obey. In that respect, Naruto could just as easily be claimed by the Sound, with a few sweet words from Kin. The boy's attraction to her had been an unexpected blessing, and one that Orochimaru had been quick to encourage. He'd made it clear that Naruto was welcome in any and all Sound bases. Normally, this might present a huge security risk, but Naruto would do nothing to risk the alliance falling apart, and Kin leaving him behind for good.

It was almost too easy to control the boy, really.

"Ah, welcome back, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru greeted warmly. "It's good to see you as always, my boy. But I have the strangest feeling that something might be bothering you. Would you care to talk about it? I'm always willing to listen, of course."

A few months ago, Naruto would have hesitated before saying anything in Orochimaru's presence. But that was just one of the perks of inspiring blind faith in his followers: they brought in even blinder followers. He'd only needed to recall Kin back to the Sound's newest desert base, and when the first teams from the Sand arrived to discuss strategy, Naruto had been with them. Since then, Orochimaru had spent a great deal of time personally training Kin, Dosu, and Zaku. He had focused entirely on increasing their chakra reserves, and all three had managed to exceed his expectations in that area. Naruto only needed one invitation to get involved, and while his progress intimidated... well, everyone, Orochimaru insisted on training the boy alongside Kin.

It was unfortunate that the boy already had weasels for summoning, but then again, Manda was getting very cranky in his old age, and probably wouldn't have been able to accept the fact that a boy could summon him.

Now, however, the boy trusted between him, and Naruto opened up the moment they were out of earshot of the troops.

"It's this plan of yours, Orochi-sensei. I hate the thought of going back there. When I think of how they treated me, I just get so angry..." Naruto growled, the fiery aura beginning to form around him without his noticing.

This was nothing Orochimaru hadn't heard several times before, and he had the same answer prepared. "I only ask that you return so that you may have your revenge, Naruto-kun, and so I might have mine. There is someone there that wronged me as well, as I've told you, and I want to face him one last time, to show him how I have surpassed his expectations since that fateful day. After the invasion, you will never have to see Konoha again. In fact, if I have my way, no one will ever see that village again. Remember that this is still largely a test for you, though. You will have to master your rage, or you'd simply start slaughtering villagers the moment you arrived."

"They deserve it," Naruto muttered under his breath.

"True. But civilians are of little importance either way. You cannot simply lose control every time you fight." Orochimaru paused and grinned slightly. "Well, you COULD, but eventually you would meet an opponent who could take advantage of that. And just in case that might happen in Konoha, I would rather you have your anger under control before we arrive."

"I can't help it. You know how Kyuubi is, and-"

"Kyuubi doesn't care about the villagers one way or the other," Orochimaru interrupted. "He could kill them all, or leave them to kill each other in their own stupidity. YOU are the one losing control, Naruto-kun. YOU are the one that hates them. The only person Kyuubi really held a grudge against is long dead, and anyone else just has the great misfortune of falling into his path of destruction. Certainly Kyuubi responds when he senses you losing control, but that is the nature of your connection. If you show weakness, Kyuubi is there to protect you both. If you have enough strength, then he will leave you alone for the most part. Kyuubi isn't the cause of your anger. The memories of your mistreatment cause your anger. Kyuubi only acts on that anger when you allow him to."

Naruto frowned at him. "So how do I stop being angry about it?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "I didn't say you should stop being angry, only that you should control your anger. Release it in a focused way, and nothing will be able to stop you."

"I'm that strong?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"You're that angry," Orochimaru corrected. "But the strength helps, yes. Think of your family and friends. They are all going to do their part in this invasion. They are all depending on you to do your part. You must not fail them. You must not fail your village, or its allies. And there is also Kin to consider."

Naruto's head snapped up. "Huh? What about Kin-chan?"

"If you perform well enough during the invasion," Orochimaru replied, "I will give you my blessing to marry her when you turn sixteen. No Sound-nin is allowed to marry without my permission."

"You... you really think she'd agree to that?" Naruto asked excitedly.

Orochimaru only smiled, knowing very well that Kin would do whatever he told her to. "Oh, you don't have anything to worry about, Naruto-kun. Once Kin has done her part for me, she will be free to marry."

What he did not say, however, was that once Kin had played her part in the invasion, she would be free, but unable, to do much of anything ever again.

* * *

"That guy gives me the creeps, and I don't care who knows it."

Naruto did not answer as Meg continued to explain why she didn't trust Orochimaru. He was busy walking across the desert again, plus he was used to the negative rumors by now: Orochimaru could be very intimidating, but Naruto had been around him long enough where it didn't even phase him anymore. He thought of Orochimaru as an eccentric and extremely knowledgeable teacher, so the hissing and the snake fetish were small prices to pay, considering how much he had improved. Oddly enough, Kyuubi wasn't fond of Orochimaru either, and for some reason he refused to speak whenever the man was around.

"And! Have you ever noticed the way his smell changes slightly? It's like he's ten people in there or something! What's up with that, huh?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You just don't like him because he rarely bothers with wind jutsu."

"No, that's only ONE of the reasons. Haven't you been listening?"

"Not really, Meg. You're kinda ranting."

"What's your point?"

Naruto groaned. "Forget I said anything."

"Done. Now, where was I? Oh, right. His TONGUE. Enough said."

"You know, weasels aren't THAT different from snakes," Naruto pointed out. "I mean, you've both got long, thin bodies, you both seem to talk a LOT, and you both have pretty bad reputations among humans."

"We both bite, too," Meg snapped. "And I may not be poisonous, but I can certainly make you wish I was so you'd die a little faster."

"Wow, somebody's touchy today."

"Of course I am! You compared me to a snake! Oh, and let's not forget the whole bursting into flames thing WHILE I WAS IN YOUR SHIRT, MISTER!"

"That was a total accident!" Naruto protested at once.

"Yeah, well, it HURT, and I don't remember getting an apology! If I had been asleep, I could've been roasted alive!"

"Come on, Meg! You act like I planned it! You know I'd never do anything to hurt you on purpose!"

"Which is why it's such a rude shock when you actually DO hurt me accidentally, and why I expect prompt and heartfelt apologies immediately following any such incidents!"

Naruto stopped walking and carefully removed Meg from his neck, holding her up before his face. "Okay! I'm really sorry I hurt you, and I'm sorry I didn't apologize for it sooner!"

"AND?" Meg demanded.

"Uh... and I'm sorry for comparing you to a snake!"

"AND?"

Naruto stared at her blankly. "Um... sorry for shouting at you?"

"AND?"

"What else is there?"

"Oh, that's it. Just messing with you," Meg replied airily. "BUT! I am STILL very, VERY mad at you. So I'm not talking to you for a whole hour."

"What? But I apologized and everything!"

"Maybe this will teach you to appreciate me a little more." Meg quickly turned her back on him and stared stiffly into the distance.

"Meg, don't be like that. Please?"

No response.

Grinning wickedly, Naruto gently began to stroke her back with his finger. "Who's my bestest buddy?" he murmured softly.

Meg squirmed under his touch and shot a cold glare over her shoulder.

"Who's the prettiest, cutest summon in Suna?"

Meg smacked at his hand with her tail, determined not to be swayed.

"Who's the smartest, fastest, strongest kamaitachi alive?"

Meg was unable to stop herself. "I AM!" she squealed happily, pouncing on top of Naruto's head.

"See how much better it is when we talk?"

"That's a dirty, rotten trick, Naruto!"

"I meant every word," Naruto answered solemnly, trying his best not to grin.

There was a slight pause. "Really?" Meg asked softly.

"Sure!"

"Aw... I love you, too!" Meg scurried down his neck and licked his cheek. "Don't worry, I won't replace you! You're my kid now and forever!"

Naruto frowned. "You say that like you own me."

Meg giggled. "Who says I don't?"

"Kin-chan would!"

"I saw you first, and I sleep in your bed every night. She's got no claim."

"She could!"

"Nope, sorry. You're mine."

"Am not! I summon YOU!"

Meg patted his cheek in a rather condescending manner. "You keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night, kid."

"YOU DO NOT OWN ME, MEG!"

"Yeah? Well, news flash: you smell like weasel, thanks to me hanging around your neck all the time. And I can think of twenty territories where that's enough to put a leash on you. But if you play your cards right, I might allow myself to be talked into buying Kin, just so you don't get lonely."

"You're a very weird weasel, Meg."

"And that's why you love me."

* * *

_4 Years, 9 Months in Konoha - August_

Much to the Sandaime Hokage's surprise, Gaara became known throughout Konoha not just because of who he was, but because of his stone sculptures of uncelebrated shinobi.

The first had mysteriously appeared in front of the gates of the Uchiha compound (with Sasuke's permission). Surprisingly few people knew very much about Uchiha Obito, other than he had been a student of the Yondaime Hokage. At any rate, Uchiha Shisui soon took up the post beside him, and most people agreed that they seemed like a handsome pair of young men.

No one said a word when Hyuuga Hizashi suddenly took up residence in the midst of Hinata's flower garden. Neji had been spotted staring at the statue for extended periods with an unreadable expression on his face, but other than that, no opinions were offered.

The most infamous statues, however, had been placed on top of the Hokage Monument. The first depicted the Yondaime Hokage standing on top of Gamabunta's head as they faced the Kyuubi no Kitsune together. In the Yondaime's arms, however, was a newborn baby.

The second statue was the real source of controversy, though. It depicted Uzumaki Naruto standing apart from a crowd of angry villagers, while Kyuubi towered over the boy, ready to attack. Gaara had gotten permission to construct a small reservoir underground, and hooked it up so that tears always flowed freely down Naruto's face.

Even though it was now common knowledge that Gaara had made the statues, there were several attempts to remove or destroy the last one, until Gaara had finally found it necessary to protect the site with an ever-present ring of sand that would attack anyone who moved over it or attacked the ring themselves. And even then, a handful of especially determined jounin had to die before everyone accepted that the statue was there to stay.

But there was still hope, the Sandaime was glad to see. Kakashi had reported small groups of people occasionally visiting Naruto's statue without malicious intent. Among them were Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, Yamanaka Ino, Uchiha Sasuke, the Hyuuga sisters, and Teuchi and Ayame. It was only a small start, but it gave the Hokage hope that if Naruto ever did return to his birthplace, he would find friends there to greet him.

**End of Chapter 9.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Gaara becomes captain of his own ANBU squad. Naruto makes a lifetime promise to Kin. Iruka gets caught. Sakura is NOT overlooked by her new sensei. Sasuke gets a crash course in Hyuuga history (worse than it sounds, trust me). Hinata and Hanabi have a little moment, which Hanabi continually ruins by being herself.

Endnotes:

Naruto's jutsu:

**Kitsune Hijutsu: Ensho (Fox Secret Technique: Heat Wave):**

When he becomes enraged, Naruto's body releases enormous amounts of heat, which Kyuubi can mold into various shapes to either attack or defend. This is an automatic reaction that Naruto has little or no control over.

I didn't plan for the first scene, but it popped into my head just as I started this chapter, and I got to kill off two characters I wasn't particularly fond of. I am just a bit too lazy to constantly retype "Lord of the Land of Wind" or something similar, so I took a page from the book of Avatar and just went with Wind Lord. Catchier, isn't it? Shorter, anyway.

Orochimaru pretty much just brushes Naruto aside when they first meet… which I find extremely odd, considering he was once a member of Akatsuki, and wants to collect every jutsu (surely Kyuubi should know plenty that no one else does). I cannot figure out why he wouldn't take more of an interest in Naruto (everyone else seems to), but I suppose he was too busy at the time to worry about other things (maybe biting people when you have a rubber neck is harder than it looks?).

Naruto's secret is out in Konoha (the older folks knew, but now so do the younger ones), which will make for some interesting reactions when he shows up again.


	10. The Talented Uchiha Sasuke

Notes: Urgh, this chapter has been forever in coming. I know you guys hate it, but a lot of this chapter will be focused on Gaara's new team, or at least a team in Konoha.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 10: The Talented Uchiha Sasuke**

* * *

_5 Years, 11 Months in Konoha - October_

"Sasuke-kun, you're fidgeting again."

"No, I'm not."

Hinata smiled patiently and reached over to pat his arm lightly. "If you say so."

Sasuke scowled at her before glaring straight ahead again. How could she possibly be so calm? They were about to be placed in their three man cells under a jounin sensei, and it was highly unlikely that he'd get anyone good. After all, Sasuke was the best student in the class, so he automatically got stuck with whoever the worst one was. Probably Shikamaru, since he slept through most of the tests (ironically, he'd have the best written exam grades if he ever bothered to stay awake).

He tried not to seem too anxious as Suzume began to announce the teams. It was odd, how Iruka and Mizuki had simply disappeared, but the rumor was that they were away on long-term missions. That had happened to more than a few of their teachers, to the point where Suzume had gone from teaching the kunoichi exclusively to handling the entire class again. She wasn't quite as boring or longwinded as Iruka, but Sasuke still found it odd to be taking lessons from a female teacher. It wasn't her ability he questioned, but girls and boys were built differently, and he couldn't help but feel his education would suffer from not having a male teacher.

"Why do you think Suzume-sensei skipped Team Seven?" Hinata asked just after Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba (plus his dog Akamaru), and a delighted Haruno Sakura became the new Team Eight under Yuuhi Kurenai.

Sasuke blinked, as he hadn't noticed that. Some of their classmates were giving each other confused looks, too. It wasn't like Suzume to make such a large oversight. "I don't know. Maybe the person that was supposed to be their sensei got killed?"

Hinata frowned. "I hope not."

"In any case, I doubt it's going to affect us at all. They wouldn't assign us to anyone that could die so easily."

"Really, Sasuke-kun, that was in very poor taste, and-"

"Team Ten," Suzume announced loudly, "will be Akimichi Chouji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino. Your sensei is Sarutobi Asuma."

"Maybe something really did happen to our sensei," Hinata murmured.

Sasuke was just about to stand up and demand some answers when Suzume cleared her throat.

"Your attention please, class! Everyone has been placed in a trial genin team, except for two of you. This is because Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata have received an unheard of honor! They have been invited to join Konoha's first junior ANBU squad! Everyone be sure to congratulate them!"

Sasuke and Hinata stared at each other.

"Did you know anything about this?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata shook her head. "I've been in Hokage-sama's office quite a few times with Gaara recently, and he never said anything."

Sasuke frowned thoughtfully. "Gaara. I'd bet anything he's behind this. He's the only ANBU our age. Either that, or Kakashi called in a favor."

"Hokage-sama might have done it himself. He would do this if he thought it would make Gaara happy. But you don't seem too happy about this, Sasuke-kun."

"It's just... you know how Gaara is. Will we be able to improve if he's always protecting us? I don't know if this is a good idea."

"I'm actually more concerned that he might be too rough with you," Hinata countered with a faint smile. "You're always pushing yourself to your limits, and he'd want to help you with that."

"I'd want him to be heavy-handed with me," Sasuke snorted. "How else will I grow?"

"A heavy hand can teach discipline, but it can also scar." Hinata reached out and gently traced his cheek with her fingers. "However, a tender touch can inspire the greatest strength of all."

Sasuke paled considerably. "I think I'd rather have Gaara try to kill me than touch me like this."

Hinata giggled softly. "My silly Sasuke-kun..."

He blinked slowly. "Yours, huh?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.

"Yes. That much, I know Gaara would back me up on."

"That's because he doesn't know about being engaged first. He just thinks you're either married, or you're not."

"I think his perspective holds some merit. The only reason I'm not living with you is because you haven't asked me to."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Do you keep doing that accidentally, or are you trying to give me a heart attack? You don't want to live with me! It's-"

"The only difference between our homes," Hinata interrupted firmly, "is that your clan has a valid reason for acting like ghosts. If it wasn't for Hanabi, I wouldn't even bother going home. Sasuke-kun, are you going to make me beg? How many different ways can I say that I just want to be with you, before you actually believe me?"

"It wouldn't be right," Sasuke protested weakly.

"You don't care what anyone thinks about you, and I'm almost to that point myself. The only person you need to satisfy is yourself."

"Then why are you pushing this?"

"Because I'll be satisfied once I'm living with you," Hinata replied. "Anyway, I'd be much more helpful to you in your home instead of mine. Or is it too soon to call it our home?"

Sasuke closed his eyes, counted to ten, and opened them. Hinata was still staring at him expectantly, a small smile on her lips (which he was definitely NOT thinking about kissing at the moment), so he did it again. It did no good, so he sighed.

Sometimes, he thought to himself wearily, Gaara was far easier to handle than Hinata. At least Gaara didn't have that strangely sexy pout when someone told him no. Then again, nobody told Gaara no, so maybe that was why.

* * *

_5 Years, 11 Months in Suna - October_

"Can we take a break now, Kin-chan?" Naruto whined. "Please?"

Kin glared at him. "No. Now stop complaining. I'm almost there."

"You aren't! You're no closer than you were ten minutes ago!"

Her left eye twitched noticeably. "Naruto-kun..."

"Well, you aren't! I've been watching! I've got nothing else to-"

"DIE!!!" she screamed, launching a trio of kunai at him.

Naruto sighed, closed his eyes, and then opened them, revealing eyes that now glowed with a pale blue light... the very same light that formed a protective barrier that deflected Kin's kunai yet again.

"NOW can we stop?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"SHUT UP!!!" Kin howled, snatching up another pair of kunai from the ground and throwing them hard. They bounced off of Naruto's barrier as well, and Kin reached up to tear at her hair in frustration. Before she could, though, Naruto zipped forward and grabbed her wrists.

"Pretty girls shouldn't hurt their hair," he stated, as if that should be common knowledge.

Kin's cheeks turned a bright red, and she quickly yanked her arms free and turned away, still able to feel Naruto's steady gaze on her. It was getting harder and harder to spar with him, and not just because he was so much stronger than her. Since his embarrassing loss to Dosu, Naruto had been taking his training, with them and on his own, far more seriously. He wasn't just doing it to impress her anymore, although that was no doubt one of the benefits.

He was making them all look bad, quite frankly. That her team had come here to study the techniques of the Sand was their cover, but each of them had only been able to learn a handful that they could really make use of. Zaku had learned to mix the environment, such as sand and rocks, into his attacks to make them even more damaging. Dosu could now focus his sound attacks on an area no bigger than a kunai tip, or expand them to devastate one larger than a house. The only thing Kin had managed to pick up was Soshuha (Manipulating Attack Blades), a common jutsu among Suna's medic-nin, partially because it used very little chakra, but mostly because it required very good chakra control. Kin had managed to expand it to the point where she could pick up and hurl nearly anything that wasn't heavier than her with chakra alone, and some things that were if she were angry enough at the time. She actually had Naruto to thank for that, since she'd thrown him headfirst into a wall once without really meaning to (technically, she'd been aiming for the ground).

Naruto, on the other hand, never seemed to stop advancing. He'd gone from knowing a handful of wind jutsu to becoming a master of them in his own right. Zaku wouldn't even fight him anymore for fear of being shown up in an element he himself specialized in. Dosu never turned down a challenge... but he never won again, either.

"How come you won't ever go out with me, Kin-chan?" Naruto asked quietly. "You said you liked me..."

Kin shook her head. "We've been over this before, Naruto-kun. We're both ninja, and nothing can get in the way of the mission. Orochimaru-sama saved my life and made me strong, and this is the only way I can repay him. Helping his plans succeed is my first priority, and everything else comes second: my dreams, my life, and you. It's not something you can talk me out of."

"But Orochi-sensei approves of us!" Naruto insisted. "He even said he'd give me permission to marry you after-"

"Not. Another. Word," Kin growled, her face red. "What were you thinking? If I won't even go out with you, why would I marry you? And you should've been asking ME, not HIM! That's not the way these things work!"

"How am I supposed to know how they work if you won't talk to me about them?" Naruto demanded. "That's why I've been asking you out, so we'd have plenty of chances to talk about things like this! If you'd just admit that you're my girl, then-"

"When did THAT happen?" Kin snapped, glaring at him. "I don't ever remember agreeing to that!"

Naruto reeled back, the hurt on his face obvious. "But... Kin-chan... I thought we were-"

"Friends," Kin said firmly. "We're friends, Naruto-kun, and we can't be anything more until after the invasion. And that's assuming I'm not still mad about you going behind my back like you did."

"I didn't mean to! Orochi-sensei only said it to help me focus on the mission! Honest!"

"Seems more like a distraction to me," Kin sniffed, turning away from him.

"But it isn't. I'd do anything to be with you, Kin-chan," Naruto said softly. "Anything."

For several tense seconds, Kin didn't move.

Worried that he was losing her, Naruto did the only thing he could think of. Hoping she wouldn't kill him, he spun Kin around, seized her face, and kissed her.

It was a moment Naruto had dreamed of, and it had all the romance of kissing a dead fish. Kin's lips were stiff and damp and... salty? He pulled back, and was horrified to see tears spilling down Kin's face. Had he really been that bad?

Before he could apologize, Kin grabbed his head. Instead of slamming it into her knee like he feared she might, Kin only drew him closer and planted her lips on his, kissing him so hard that it actually hurt for a few seconds. But then Naruto reminded himself that this was Kin, his Kin-chan, and the pain and wetness (and even the saltiness) faded until he could only feel the warmth of her lips.

It was over all too soon, but Kin didn't immediately let go of him. She pressed his head to her heart and hugged him tightly, as if she had wanted to do that for some time. Naruto was confused and very much lightheaded, so he didn't bother with trying to say anything. All that mattered was that Kin returned his feelings, at least a little.

"You're a stupid, stupid boy, Naruto-kun," Kin whispered, "but I think that's why I like you."

Naruto had to stomp down the very odd urge to do something stupid right then, in the faint hope of getting another kiss. "Why are you crying, Kin-chan?"

"Because you make me so happy that I don't know what else to do... and that makes me very sad at the same time."

"Why?"

"I don't deserve you... and people like me never get what they don't deserve... not for very long, anyway."

She sounded so sad that Naruto felt he had to say something. "I'll promise."

Kin blinked and looked down at him. "What?"

"After the invasion... I'll promise."

"Promise what?"

"Whatever you want me to, Kin-chan!" he replied happily. "If you want me to promise we'll always be friends, I'll do it! If you want to be more than that, that's fine, too! And if you change your mind about getting married, even better! Whatever you want from me, just tell me then, and I'll promise it!"

Kin stared at him for a few seconds before smiling warmly. "It's a deal, Naruto-kun."

* * *

Sakura didn't say so out loud, but she was thrilled that she'd managed to end up on the same team as Kiba and Shino. Kiba was easily her best male friend (okay, he was a boy, but calling him a boy friend would only spark yet another long argument with Inner Sakura, during which she apparently gave off two scents and scared the hell out of Akamaru), and... well, she knew Shino, and he didn't talk much, but he was just as, if not smarter than her, which more than made up for Kiba's... brawn, so that was good. Sakura was getting a little brawny herself, according to Ino, which she took as a compliment.

When the class let out for lunch, surprisingly, Shino was the one who suggested that they get to know each other by talking about how they would usually approach various battle situations. Apparently this would tell them (or at least Shino) a great deal about how their minds worked. Kiba's method was usually to trust his senses and charge straight in with Akamaru. Sakura's was more analytical, and so was Shino's, but he used bugs instead of just his senses to observe. They also figured out that Kiba's best area was taijutsu, and Shino's was ninjutsu, while Sakura was solid in taijutsu, but felt she might do better at something else.

The more they talked, the more Sakura felt at ease with her new teammates. They had all known each other before, but now they were each far less worried about being grouped together. With only a few minutes left until they had to report back to the classroom to meet their new sensei, all three were fairly relaxed.

Kiba was telling Shino how he had first met Naruto. Sakura had heard the story before, so she was stretched out on the grass with Akamaru curled up on her stomach. If the story was true, Kiba had lured all of the Inuzuka dogs out of the compound with a sack full of meat, and led them on a merry chase through the village, causing plenty of damage along the way. But the moment before he was about to be caught, Naruto had appeared, snatched the sack out of his hand, and ran off, effectively taking the blame for the whole incident. When Kiba asked him why later, Naruto had said he couldn't let a fellow prankster take the fall for something that Naruto would probably get blamed for, anyway. The story was less amusing every additional time Sakura heard it, but she wondered why Naruto had never let her see that side of him... or, if he had, why she'd never been able to recognize it for what it was.

Her mind was still on Naruto when Akamaru sniffed the air, stood up, and barked loudly. Sakura recognized it as his warning bark, and was almost to her feet when a woman with black hair and red eyes suddenly seemed to step out of mid air in front of them. Sakura almost thought she was a Uchiha that had been overlooked, until she realized that Shino didn't appear to be concerned, although it was hard to tell with him sometimes.

"You look like an interesting group," the woman said after a moment of silence, "but the first thing we'll need to work on is detecting genjutsu, since Shino was the first to notice me, and only then because he had some of his friends patrolling the area." She extended her left index finger, and Shino stepped forward and took back the black beetle sitting there. "Now, I know I'm a little early, but I assumed you'd all want to get started right away. Was I right?"

Sakura, Kiba, and Shino shared brief glances before nodding.

"Good. I am Yuuhi Kurenai, your new sensei, and I think the best way to start off is a short walk, before I give you a crash course in genjutsu. That should be a good test to determine if you're ready."

Sakura hesitantly spoke up. "Um, sensei, I don't know if I'm any good at genjutsu..." ("Hey now, that's loser talk!" Inner Sakura growled. "Man up, dammit!")

Kurenai just smiled. "All the more reason for you to learn, Sakura. I wouldn't be surprised if you turned out to be better at it than Kiba or Shino. Genjutsu tends to be a bit too subtle for most boys, although Shino would probably do better than most."

"Hey!" Kiba cried indignantly.

"It's true, Kiba. Had you detected me first, I might think differently. But I would guess your strength relies more on overwhelming opponents with speed and power."

Kiba instantly forgot the perceived slight and puffed out his chest a bit. Sakura rolled her eyes. ("Scratch the dog boy's ears, and suddenly he thinks he's a star," Inner Sakura snickered.)

"There's nothing wrong with a little pride, Sakura," Kurenai was quick to point out, her voice firm. "In fact, I never want to hear you doubt yourself again until after you've made an honest effort. It's hard enough making it as a kunoichi without being weighed down by your own mind. Do you understand?"

A little startled, Sakura nodded. Then she blinked, and realized she was all by herself.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! What are you doing back there?" Kiba shouted.

Sakura looked up to see that Kurenai, Kiba, and Shino were already several feet away from the Academy grounds, although Akamaru had run back to get her moving. Kurenai had a strange little smile on her face, and Sakura instantly realized that she'd just gotten her crash course in genjutsu without even knowing it. Shaking her head, she bent down to scoop up Akamaru before hurrying after them. She had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last little trick that Kurenai played on her, but at least there'd be good reason for them.

* * *

Sasuke was used to fangirls falling all over themselves just for a chance of getting his attention for even a moment. So it was a little startling when they suddenly started glaring at him. He couldn't figure out why, at first, until he realized that at some point, either Hinata had taken his hand, or he had grabbed hers (definitely the former, his mind insisted).

He wasn't looking forward to returning to the classroom after lunch. It wasn't that the fangirls bothered him at all, but it was a matter of pride. People could not just glare at Uchiha Sasuke's future wife. It wasn't done, and it wouldn't be done, if he had anything to say about it, which he most certainly did. He was only seconds away from stomping over to put a good scare into them when the fangirls suddenly scattered in all directions.

"Sasuke. Hinata."

Sasuke looked up to see Gaara hovering just above them on a sand cloud. Strangely, Sasuke's first impression was that Gaara seemed... tired. Why he thought this, he wasn't sure. The dark rings around Gaara's eyes had been there for as long as Sasuke had known him, so it wasn't that. Hinata seemed to notice it, too, but she probably wouldn't say anything unless Gaara did something truly out of character, like yawn.

"I assume we're waiting for Kakashi now?" Sasuke asked, sounding weary at the thought.

"No. The squad is complete as it is."

Sasuke frowned as Gaara's cloud lowered to ground level and quickly vanished back into his gourd. "But there's supposed to be a-"

"I am the squad captain," Gaara replied. "Do you have an objection, Sasuke?"

In truth, Sasuke had entertained the idea for a moment, but just as quickly dismissed it. What did Gaara know about teamwork, or leading a squad, for that matter? Okay, so he was the strongest member, and he was already ANBU, but Sasuke still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea. Although, he had to say so in a way that wouldn't get him hurt too badly. He might not like the idea of Gaara leading him, but he liked the idea of Gaara throttling him even less.

"What qualifies you to be the leader of this squad?"

Gaara seemed a little too ready for that question. "I have studied your respective clans extensively over the past week. I was given access to certain scrolls that described your dojutsu in great detail. Admittedly, I have only been able to study the Byakugan with my own eyes, but I believe I have a very thorough understanding of its functions. If both of you agree to follow me, I believe I can unlock your ultimate potential."

"How were you able to study the Byakugan?" Hinata asked, more curious than anything else. "I can't imagine that my father was very accommodating."

Gaara nodded. "I was assured he wouldn't be, so I went over his head... well, under it. Hanabi was most helpful."

Hinata blinked in surprise. "Hanabi? MY Hanabi?"

"She knew where the scrolls were kept, and how to gain access to them. She did not appear to be concerned about getting caught, so I didn't bother asking what would happen if she were." When this didn't seem to calm Hinata's fears, Gaara added, "If she is harmed for assisting me, there will be blood."

Sasuke peered at him closely. "Gaara... do you know what you're doing?"

"I am protecting you, and making you strong, as I promised I would. Before I can officially become your squad captain, however, I am required to test you both, to ensure that you are ready for my kind of training. I have prepared a trial mission for each of you. It is in your best interest to pass, no matter what it takes."

Sasuke and Hinata traded uneasy glances, but neither said anything.

"Hinata, your mission is to return to the Hyuuga compound and determine if you are currently in any danger of being sealed."

The color drained out of Hinata's face, and Sasuke's eyes widened. "Sealed? Why would she need to be sealed? And who would do such a thing?" By the end he was shouting, and he only stopped when Hinata placed a soothing hand on his arm.

"If you determine there is any danger," Gaara continued, "then you are to pack anything you would need for an extended mission outside of the village, and be ready to leave by nightfall. I suggest you go now. There is not much time."

"What is he talking about?" Sasuke demanded. "Hinata-chan, what-"

"I was going to tell you, Sasuke-kun," Hinata whispered, unable to meet his eyes. "I still will, later, when it's safe." And before he could stop her, she kissed him firmly on the mouth, bowed respectfully to Gaara, and then ran off.

Sasuke could only watch her go in shock (and perhaps a little giddiness), but Gaara's next words got his full attention.

"Sasuke, your mission is to obtain the Sharingan. I will help you with that."

* * *

Hinata had quite a few questions to ask her sister, once they had a chance to talk. But foremost in her mind now was the mission... that, and the horrible look on Sasuke's face. He had been afraid, because he could only protect her from threats he knew about. That she had known, and hadn't told him, must have been a huge blow to his pride as a Uchiha, and a ninja. What kind of man couldn't even protect his own wife, after all? Hinata felt extremely guilty about that, and hoped their first real kiss had been enough to ease his fears. It had certainly done wonders for her, but unfortunately, there was no time to enjoy it.

Gaara had been strangely kind in implying that there might not be any danger for her, but Hinata suspected they both knew the truth. As long as there was anyone who could take her place, she would be in danger. And since she would not want any of her clan wiped out, she would have to go. There was no point in even bothering with the first part of the mission. She would use all of the time to prepare for the journey.

But that part turned out to be fairly easy, because when Hinata walked into her bedroom, half of her important things had already been packed, and Hanabi was in the process of packing the other half.

"Make sure I didn't miss anything or pack something you don't need, onee-chan," Hanabi said, not even looking up from the small container of healing ointment that she was stuffing into a bag.

Instead of asking questions, Hinata quickly scanned her bags with her Byakugan, and found Hanabi had done a better job than she would have. She was confused, touched, and a little hurt. "Are you so eager to have me leave, Hanabi-chan?"

"If it means you won't end up grumpy and sour-faced like Neji, then yes," Hanabi replied. "I almost wish I were going with you, but then they'd definitely notice the scrolls had been moved, and we'll be in enough trouble as it is. Make sure Gaara doesn't forget that he owes me, either. I might have to call in that favor sooner than I'd hoped."

"I... I don't want you to be hurt because of me, Hanabi-chan," Hinata said softly.

"Then be sure to tell everyone quite loudly that I tried to stop you on your way out. In fact, you'd better hit me a few times to make it look good. And I'll need to hit you once or twice, since you're supposed to be so awful at that kind of thing."

Hinata stood there for a few seconds, trying to decide if Hanabi had just complimented her or not. She finally gave up and went about gathering several more containers of healing ointment. She probably wouldn't need them as much anymore, but there was no telling what Gaara had in store for her and Sasuke.

"You need a sword," Hanabi said abruptly.

Hinata blinked. "For what?"

Hanabi scowled at her. "Don't make me hit you until I actually need to. What do you think it'd be for?"

"But we never-"

"All the more reason to get good with one, don't you think? They can't actually touch you to seal off your chakra if you've cut off their hands, can they?"

Hinata wasn't sure what to say to that, so she simply went back to packing.

"Promise me you'll get one if the opportunity comes up, onee-chan."

Hinata glanced at Hanabi uncertainly, but nodded. "I promise..."

Hanabi relaxed slightly. "I'd just give you one if I had it, or steal one if I thought I could get away with it, but..."

"That kind of talk shouldn't be coming from the Hyuuga heiress."

Hanabi paused and looked at Hinata, who was staring at the floor in a most determined fashion.

"They'll just have to cover their ears when I talk, won't they?" Hanabi answered with a mischievous grin.

* * *

The walls were closing in on Iruka.

The fall of the Wind Lord had gone pretty smoothly, all things considered. No one was openly fond of the man, and he'd been replaced with a swiftness that bordered on premeditated. His mysterious disappearance was not even looked into for more than a day. Investigators simply agreed that he was indeed gone, and shouldn't they be looking for the new Wind Lord instead of the old one?

Strangely enough, the new Wind Lord didn't look as if he would last for very long. From all the rumors Iruka had heard, he was pretty sickly despite his young age, and often had to end meetings abruptly so he could get plenty of bed rest. The one thing he had found time to do was increase military spending. In other words, the Sand was back in business. The missions were pouring in, thanks almost entirely to Naruto. Every day that he wasn't training, he was showing everyone exactly how powerful Suna's Desert Fox had become.

The increased activity also meant that the Sound's presence in Suna almost doubled. The Sound apparently had an excellent medic-nin training program, and many of their healers were in high demand, since Suna had been employing medic-nin less and less in the past few years (having been one of the first budget cuts the former Wind Lord made). The chief Sound medic-nin, a harmless-looking young man named Kabuto, had been assigned exclusively to the Kazekage's family.

Iruka only had to meet him once, and the truth had been obvious to someone like him. A sleeper could always recognize another sleeper, and Kabuto was among the best he'd ever met. If they ever came to blows, Iruka would lose his life, slowly and painfully. That was only thing Iruka had seen in Kabuto's eyes, and it had been enough. Maybe the Sand trusted him, but the Sound did not, and it was time to go. It would be all too easy for a group of Sound-nin to ambush him now.

In the end, it only took one, although she was able to summon a small demon army, so Iruka wasn't really ashamed that he'd only taken one down before a heavy blow from another's club brought on the darkness.

That was how he found himself a prisoner of the last person he'd ever wanted to meet up close. The worst part was that the first thing Orochimaru had done was shown Iruka a message… his own message. One of many he thought he'd sent to the Sandaime Hokage, and nearly all of which Orochimaru had in his possession. The ghastly feeling in Iruka's stomach only grew when Orochimaru revealed that the new Wind Lord was a highly educated young man named Kaguya Kimimaro, a Sound-nin in good standing. Somehow he had been placed in power with no trouble at all, and people were quickly getting behind his "war is hell, but we must be prepared for both, or risk destruction" stance. He claimed to be a peaceful man at heart, and he certainly came off as one that just happened to return Suna to its former glory.

Iruka was both amazed and disgusted by how quickly everything had fallen apart. If he had been unable to see this coming, and had been unable to warn the Sandaime, then in his mind, he deserved anything Orochimaru would do to him (despite knowing full well that nobody deserved to become one of Orochimaru's twisted experiments). But he would prefer to face death at the hands of a demented Sannin, than ever have to show his face in the village he had failed.

Unfortunately for Iruka, Orochimaru was neither merciful, nor in the habit of letting a perfectly good prisoner go to waste...

* * *

Sasuke wasn't sure what was worse: the unimaginable pain, or the history lesson Gaara was giving him the whole time.

No one had ever actually gone in pursuit of the Sharigan: it simply manifested when a Uchiha's life was on the line. The theory was that it couldn't be rushed, that it happened entirely on its own.

Only Gaara had another theory, one that involved repeatedly putting Sasuke's life in danger until the Sharingan appeared. It was pure madness, but Sasuke had been unable to provide a solid reason against it. He wanted the Sharingan badly enough, and even if he actually died in the attempt, he was as good as dead without it.

Gaara had thought the whole thing through in advance. They made the attempt in the Uchiha compound, in the very same room where Sasuke's parents had been murdered by Itachi. If that did not convince Sasuke's mind and body that he was about to die, nothing would.

There had been no warning to start with. The moment Sasuke stepped into the room, sand had closed around his left ankle, and the struggle began.

In certain moments, Sasuke honestly thought that Gaara had forgotten why they were here, that he was enjoying himself, and that Sasuke was just one of many faces he had wiped out of existence. There was no mercy, no hesitation, and no way to escape Gaara for more than an instant.

And then Gaara began to talk.

As he fought for his life, Sasuke learned more about the Hyuuga Clan than he'd ever wanted to know. Gaara told him of the sacrifice of Neji's father, the way siblings of the Main House were pitted against each other time and time again to claim the right to rule, and what fates awaited the ones who lost: enslavement or assassination. Hinata and Hanabi were actually odd in that they truly loved each other too much to consider such measures. Hiashi, however, lived by no such restrictions, and not only was he fully willing to sacrifice one of his daughters, but it didn't seem to matter which one it was in the end.

Whether it was Gaara's intention or not, the story filled Sasuke's head with rage. All this time he had been focused on his problems, and had never given too much thought to what Hinata might be going through. She wasn't the type to complain about such things, even if he had thought to ask her. The idea that she was so close to becoming even more of a puppet for her clan was completely unacceptable. Even Hanabi didn't deserve that fate, and for the first time, Sasuke wondered if he could liberate them both from their family.

In that moment, he forgot himself, and an unbreakable hand of sand wrapped around his throat and began to strangle him.

Sasuke was not afraid. He was still thinking of Hinata, only now he saw her with that glowing, horrible seal carved deep into her forehead. She was still beautiful, and Sasuke knew that with time, he could come to love even that Hinata, but something in him refused to. Loving that Hinata would mean accepting that he had been unable to protect her, and that was something he refused to do. She belonged to him, and no man would ever again take away something that was precious to Sasuke.

With a strangled cry of fury and newfound strength, the last Uchiha of the Leaf surged forward and spewed a stream of fire at his attacker. The flames did not reach Gaara, as a shield of sand rose up to protect him, as usual. The light of the fire did draw Gaara's attention to something that had not been there before, however: the Sharingan, blazing brightly even after the fire had long died out.

Curiously, once Sasuke had sufficiently recovered from the attack, they both agreed that his Sharingan had activated, not to save his own life, but to save Hinata's. But as Gaara carried them both to the hospital on a cloud of sand, Sasuke knew the rules of the Sharingan hadn't changed, not really. His life truly was in danger… and he should have realized long ago that its name was, and always had been, Hinata.

**End of Chapter 10.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto makes a new friend in Kabuto. Gaara sends Sasuke on a mission to liberate Hinata. Iruka learns what Orochimaru has planned for him.

Endnotes:

According to Sasuke's memories, Suzume taught the boys and girls at one point… or at least stood in front of the class and looked all teachy while they were reading. But I doubt she shows up again, anyway.

Kurenai's eyes are a little too unique to be unrelated to a dojutsu, so I just made her up one in five or so minutes. But it's completely unrelated to her mastery of genjutsu, which makes her one of the few people that got results with sheer hard work (in this story, anyway).

Naruto's jutsu:

**Futon: Kazeheki (Wind Release: Wind Barrier): **A protective barrier formed from pure wind chakra. Best used for deflecting projectiles, but ill-suited for preventing elemental damage.

Kin's jutsu:

**Soshuha (Manipulating/Guided Attack Blades): **Blades are held in the air by chakra and directed towards their target. I don't know how common this jutsu is, but it's low-ranked, Yashamaru knew it, and he was a chuunin medic-nin, so I don't imagine it's terribly difficult to for someone with better than average chakra control.

Gaara's jutsu:

**Sabaku Fuyu (Desert Suspension): **Gaara creates a floating sand cloud he can ride on.

Sasuke's jutsu:

**Katon: Ryoka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique): **The user spits out a stream of fire that travels in a straight line.

Kurenai's bloodline limit/jutsu:

**Hachuugan (Reptile Eye): **The Yuuhi Clan bloodline limit that allows the user to see body heat (even residual) and chakra that is normally invisible (such as chakra strings, chakra weapons, chakra channels and gates in the body, and even Aburame insects) at will. This often makes them excellent trackers or battle strategists. In terms of overall ability, the Hachuugan does not compare to the insight of the Byakugan (it can only see into objects that have chakra), or the sheer power of the Sharingan.

**Fukashi no Jutsu (Invisibility Technique): **A genjutsu technique that makes the user invisible to most eyes.

**Tsukanoma (Brief Time): **A genjutsu technique that causes a target to lose track of everything for a few seconds. Most people mistake it as having their mind wander, and never realize their mind has been attacked.


	11. Hinata's New Home

Notes: Taking more liberties with certain characters, specifically Kabuto, or at least his origins.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 11: Hinata's New Home**

* * *

_5 Years, 11 Months in Suna - October_

Temari could not shake the feeling that this was all very, very wrong.

The Kazekage, at Orochimaru's request, had agreed that Kabuto would become Naruto's official medic-nin. There was no one more talented at the healing arts in the Sound, and on the subject of Kyuubi, Kabuto had laughed politely and assured them that he'd seen far more frightening things in his life than a demon in a boy's body. So it was not really surprising when Kabuto was also selected to pose as their jounin sensei during the upcoming chuunin exams in Konoha.

Temari had protested, of course, claiming that Kabuto was a little too young to be convincing as a jounin. She and Naruto had watched, in absolute shock, as Kabuto had simply taken apart five of Suna's elite jounin, then proceeded to heal his own wounds (there were surprisingly very few), all while wearing that creepy grin of his. Needless to say, Kabuto got the job.

Naruto, despite all of Temari's warnings, was showing a rather worrying fondess for Sound-nin. He still hated Zaku (most people did), but that didn't stop him from purposely drawing Zaku into fights when he felt he needed the practice. Temari had accepted that Dosu hadn't been trying to seriously hurt Naruto that first time, but she still didn't like him, and the feeling was mutual (it was impossible to tell, but Temari thought her blow to his head had added several more bandages that remained even to this day). But even Naruto's obsession with Kin wasn't quite so troubling as his fast friendship with Kabuto.

Kabuto was very easy to like, if you could only get past that smile, or the way the light seemed to catch ominously on his glasses every now and then (Kankurou had laughed at Temari when she mentioned it, and she'd punched him in the nose). He almost seemed charmingly clumsy at times, but when it came to his work, she had never seen steadier hands. Naruto liked him solely because Kabuto made extremely corny jokes, which were both horrible yet impossible not to laugh at. Kabuto even started going on missions with them, but in those cases he generally did nothing but heal them, whether they really needed it or not. When Temari asked why he didn't help with the fighting more often, Kabuto's answer made sense, yet still infuriated her: "Kazekage-sama does not want any of you to become dependent on my strength. I am only here to keep you whole, though I will assist more directly if the situation gets out of control."

That had almost never happened, but when it did, even Kankurou had been faintly sick when they'd watched Kabuto slice open a man's throat, and make no attempt to dodge the blood spray that soaked his face. He'd just wiped his glasses on his shirt, then moved on to his next victim. Naruto had been impressed, and asked Kabuto a question they'd all wanted to, but had never dared.

"How'd you get so good, Kabuto-sempai?"

Kabuto smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, that. Well, I don't really like to talk about it, but my mother... the one who adopted me, I mean... she was a medic-nin, and she taught me many things. That's why I don't mind the blood. I'm sort of used to seeing it in large quantities."

"What's your mother like?" Naruto asked at once.

Kabuto blinked, and Temari thought he might refuse to say more. Then he seemed to realize that Naruto wanted to know about his mother, not because he was nosy, but because he didn't have one, and wanted to know what it was like. "Let's see. She drinks all of the time. She's always broke because she constantly gambles and loses. Oh, and she has a bad habit of knocking people into next week for the tiniest offenses."

Naruto frowned. "She doesn't sound like she was a very good mother to you, Kabuto-sempai."

"Oh, she was a terrible mother," Kabuto agreed with a smile. "But she was a very talented medic-nin, and she taught me nearly everything I know about healing. Besides that, she loved me and took care of me, or at least she left me with my older sister a lot, who was far more attentive. My sister, she always looked at me... well, the way Temari-san looks at you, Naruto-kun. You're very lucky, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Naruto agreed, grinning at Temari, who pointedly looked the other way so he couldn't see her blushing. "So how come you're not with your mother and your sister now?"

"Ah... we had a difference of opinion," Kabuto sighed, looking particularly sad. "I wanted to serve Orochimaru-sama, and I asked them to come with me. But they had bad experiences belonging to a Hidden Village, so they turned down his offer. Actually, Naruto-kun, they used to belong to the same village that you were born in."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up in surprise, as if he couldn't ever imagine that good people might have come out of Konoha. "Your mother and sister are Leaf missing-nin?"

"No, no. They retired early, I guess you could say, so they're not classified as missing-nin. They'd be welcome if they went back, but I seriously doubt they ever will. Bad memories and all that."

Naruto nodded, fully understanding. "Do you still see them?"

"No, they move around quite a bit. I get postcards from my sister every month, but that's it. Look, here's the latest one. You won't be able to read much of it, since she writes in an old code."

Kabuto was right, Naruto could only make out a handful of words, and those few didn't mean anything to him. But at the bottom of the postcard, there was something that definitely stuck out. "She calls you 'Kabu-kun,' huh?" Naruto snickered.

Kabuto frowned at him. "It's just a nickname."

Naruto was cackling now. "It's got little hearts around it and everything!"

Blushing heavily, Kabuto snatched the postcard back. "Yes, well, she's very affectionate…"

* * *

_5 Years, 11 Months in Konoha - October_

"Your first mission as a member of this squad is to safely liberate Hinata from the Hyuuga compound. However, this is a black op. You will go in alone, and officially, I have no knowledge of you even leaving the hospital. If you are caught within the compound, the Hyuuga would be within their rights to execute you at once. If you can make it outside of the compound, and draw the attention of witnesses not loyal to the clan, you should be safe. I will of course be nearby, with excuse that I recognized your chakra and came to investigate. I assume the Hyuuga would not attack me without overwhelming numbers, but the loss of a potential heiress may make them desperate. You must have a witness the Hyuuga would have reason not to kill."

Those were the words that rang in Uchiha Sasuke's mind as he approached the Hyuuga compound. He was well rested, a little sore, and very much afraid, although not for the expected reasons. He did not fear the Hyuuga, not even his future father-in-law. He feared failure. If Sasuke failed this night, he would never marry Hinata, never grow stronger, and never face Itachi.

None of it made much sense. Hiashi wanted him to marry Hinata, so on that much they agreed. But Hiashi also wanted Hinata sealed, and for Sasuke to essentially become little more than a loyal Hyuuga with black eyes. They were two security measures, plain and simple, despite the fact that each made the other unnecessary. The funny part was that if Sasuke truly believed that Hinata would remain in the Main House, he might even consent to joining the clan in an official capacity. But every conversation he'd had with Hiashi on the subject led back to those two security measures. The man would not be moved.

Gaara was fairly simple-minded when it came to setting goals. He took being a squad captain very seriously, and he needed an able squad to carry out his orders. Hinata could not be sealed, because it would give her a major weakness, should they ever have reason to fight a Hyuuga, or if they did something the Main House did not agree with. It was their duty to remove her entirely from Hyuuga control, and secure her in a place where they could not only protect her, but help her grow strong enough to protect herself.

Sasuke did not like the idea of going in alone, though. He was essentially declaring war on the whole clan by taking their heiress, even if she was coming willingly. It would've been nice to have Gaara right outside waiting for him, but it also would've proved that this had been planned in advance.

Had Itachi planned his attack in advance?

The thought made Sasuke's blood run cold.

Itachi had done it. Sasuke could do no less if he were ever to match his brother, and then surpass him.

More determined than ever, Sasuke began the mission.

* * *

Hinata felt sick, but she wasn't quite sure why. She was happy to finally be leaving her clan behind. She was happy that she would be with Sasuke and Gaara, the boy she loved and the boy who had devoted himself to her happiness.

The packing had gone quickly with Hanabi's help, but it had taken significantly longer to convince Hanabi to stay in bed that night, no matter what happened. Hinata had made her promise not to get involved, and Hanabi had scowled fiercely, but finally agreed when Hinata was just about to resort to begging. Realizing that she would most likely not see her sister for some time, Hinata had hugged Hanabi tightly and kissed her cheek, something Hanabi usually claimed to detest. This night, she had accepted it in silence and promptly walked away.

Hinata had gone to bed fully dressed to leave, and not surprisingly, not one person had come to check on her. Still, she scanned the hall with her Byakugan every time footsteps came near her door, just to be safe. She had no idea how her teammates would be coming, but she would be ready in any case.

Shortly after midnight, there was a light tapping sound on her wall.

Hinata searched the room until she spotted a familiar hand protruding from the floor. She climbed out of bed as Sasuke rose silently from the floor, looking tense and sweaty. Hinata's first impulse was to kiss him, but she had only taken a step closer when he placed a finger against her lips.

"Tsuchi Bunshin," (Earth Clone) he whispered.

Hinata's eyes widened, and she nodded, turning back to slip on her back pack. Briefly, she wondered if kissing him would taste like mud, then decided to ask Sasuke later.

He positioned her next to the wall, indicated she should wait there, and then sank back into ground. Only a few seconds passed until two hands wrapped around Hinata's ankles and pulled. The floor opened up, and she caught a brief glimpse of three Sasuke clones standing in a small circle, ready to catch her, before the floor (now the ceiling, technically) closed behind her.

Hinata instantly activated her Byakugan, and was startled to see that she was standing in a small tunnel. It certainly hadn't been there before today. There was no time to question it, as one of the clones grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. They only walked for a few feet before the tunnel curved straight up. With no warning, the clones melted together to form a giant hand made of hardened mud and rock, which closed around Hinata's waist and began carrying her up the tunnel wall.

The tunnel came to a dead end, but that soon opened up to reveal Sasuke, and Hinata didn't need her Byakugan to know he was the real one. He pulled her out of the tunnel, then pressed his hands against the edge of the tunnel. For a second, it looked as if he would be sick, and then he vomited up a long stream of mud that quickly filled the tunnel and hardened. Sasuke wiped his mouth on his arm when he was done, turned around, and nearly got knocked flat on his back when Hinata kissed him passionately.

She half-expected him to pull away, either with the excuse that his mouth was still muddy, or that they needed to leave right then. Instead, Sasuke only wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her lightly until she drew back. "Sasuke-kun... about earlier..." she began, but he pressed a finger to her lips again.

"Later," he murmured. "We need to leave now."

She nodded and took his hand in silence. Then they started to run, and Hinata realized that they had come up near her flower garden. They had almost reached the statue of Hizashi when someone stepped out from behind it.

"You're a little early for our spar, Uchiha-san," Neji said calmly, quietly. "I seem to recall it was not scheduled until you obtained the Sharingan." His eyes moved briefly to Hinata, and her backpack, before shifting back to Sasuke. "You may go peacefully, so long as Hinata-sama stays."

"Why would anyone pack for a trip they didn't intend to take?" Sasuke muttered, stepping in front of Hinata. "She comes with me, and you stay."

Neji frowned. "You don't really think you can best me in taijutsu?"

"I never said anything about taijutsu," Sasuke replied as the statue of Hizashi suddenly toppled forward, doing its best to fall on Neji. Neji was clearly startled by the image of his father seemingly attacking him, and the only reason he didn't try to get out of the way was because the statue would smash against the ground if he did. So instead, he caught it and started to push it upright.

By then, Sasuke and Hinata had already fled, and even when Neji had replaced the statue, a large hand of rock shot up from the ground and closed tightly around his body.

"Thank you for not hurting him, Sasuke-kun," Hinata murmured, shooting him an appreciative smile.

Sasuke blinked, deciding not to tell her that the rock hand was infused with chakra, and would squeeze Neji harder the more he struggled until its chakra ran out, or until he was rescued. At worst, he might be stubborn enough to crack a rib or two, but not foolish enough to actually break a limb. Truthfully, Sasuke had needed a way to restrain Neji without actually fighting him. Gaara might have armed him with plenty of earth-based jutsu, but Sasuke had only had a few hours to practice them, and he wasn't quite crazy enough to test them out in battle against a Hyuuga prodigy, not with Hinata's freedom on the line.

Neji apparently hadn't bothered to alert anyone else, because none of the guards seemed to be especially on the lookout for an intruder. Perhaps it was just coincidence that he had been there to encounter them, but Sasuke wasn't ready to believe that. Neji might have been too proud to ever think that Sasuke might get past him, but he should have done something to at least ensure Hinata didn't run while they were fighting.

They made it all the way to the tall, white wall that surrounded the compound, purposely designed so that most ninja would have trouble making it over in a single bound. Sasuke himself had needed a boost from a clone on the way in, and with Hinata carrying a heavy pack, they'd definitely need one to get out. But just as Sasuke started to create a clone, Hinata gasped and grabbed his arm so hard that it nearly hurt.

"My father," she whispered. "He's on the other side of the wall. He knows we're here. He can see us."

Sasuke blinked, quickly considered his options, and made the clone, anyway. If they tried to go another way, Hiashi would alert the entire compound. If they tried to get past him, only they would know about it. Sasuke did not believe he could defeat or reason with Hiashi, but he knew they could not risk turning around.

He went up the wall first, making sure to steady Hinata when she reached the top as well. Sasuke took her hand, squeezed it firmly, and they jumped down together, landing a few feet away from Hiashi.

"A ninja invades my home, attempts to kidnap Hinata, and runs into me," Hiashi said quietly. "You should know that I killed the last man in your position, Sasuke."

"And all it cost you was your brother," Sasuke replied calmly. "Which Hyuuga will pay the price for your mistakes this time, I wonder?"

Hiashi's impassive expression did not change at all. "You are a brave boy, Sasuke, but still a boy. I would hate to have to kill you before you could become a truly great ninja. Release my daughter, and I will overlook this incident."

"I AM releasing your daughter," Sasuke snapped. "That you can't see that only proves that I'm right in this. Hinata has no value to you. Would you keep her from someone who does see value in her, just to make her miserable?"

Hiashi frowned at him. "I am doing what I must to protect my clan."

"Hinata is no longer part of your clan. She hasn't been since you gave up on her, and certainly not since she agreed to become my wife. I won't let anyone touch her... not even you."

"It would seem the fall of your clan truly has damaged your mind, young Sasuke," Hiashi sighed, almost sounding resentful. "I promise this will not be held against you when the Council judges you in this matter."

"You'll be the one that's judged," Sasuke answered confidently. "And what will you use to explain your madness? The sanctity of a clan where you brand your children like cattle? You know as well as I do that the only reason you want to seal Hinata is so that she'll have no choice but to obey your clan, even as a Uchiha. That is unacceptable for me, and for her."

Hiashi smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. "Let me hear it from her," he challenged. "Let me hear from the lips of Hyuuga Hinata that this is the path she has chosen, and I will not attempt to stop you."

Sasuke frowned, and considered bolting then and there. He knew what Hinata wanted, but he wasn't sure she would dare to say it in front of her father. Open defiance had never been her specialty, and she proved this even then by not saying a word.

"As I thought," Hiashi chuckled softly. "She is still my daughter through and through."

"I did not speak," Hinata said abruptly, "because you did not address me by my proper name." Hiashi's eyes widened in surprise as Hinata stepped forward. "I am, now and forever, Uchiha Hinata, and you will address me as such if you expect a response."

"Very well," Hiashi responded, his eyes narrowing. "But you will remember that my offer was extended only to Hyuuga Hinata. Since you are clearly not her, it does not apply to you." With that, he activated his Byakugan and stepped forward as well.

Sasuke wracked his brain for a strategy. He strongly suspected that most Hyuuga never learned anything outside of their own clan techniques, so maybe he could still get the drop on Hiashi, if he managed to get out of range. But already he was too close to the clan head, and putting distance between them just didn't seem possible.

Hiashi did not come any closer, however, and a frown stretched across his face as he deactivated his Byakugan and crossed his arms over his chest.

Sasuke was still trying to figure out what had happened when he heard a voice behind him, the last one he ever would've thought would save him.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He blinked, slowly turned around, and nearly winced at finding Haruno Sakura staring at him in confusion. Still, he was very glad to see that for some reason, she was accompanied by Yuuhi Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma. He had found his witnesses.

Asuma was not smoking a cigarette for once, and maybe that was why he looked distinctly unhappy, but probably not. "Are we interrupting anything, Sasuke? Hinata?"

Hinata offered what had to be the shakiest smile Sasuke had ever seen, apparently using up most of her bravery to stand up to her father. "Not really, Asuma-sensei. I was just thanking my father, and saying goodbye. He has given me his blessing to move in with Sasuke-kun."

This was, quite obviously to everyone present, a lie. But Hiashi could not disagree without a valid excuse as to why they were all out there so late, any more than Sasuke could. Sasuke realized with a smirk that he had not been able to defeat Hiashi, but Hinata had.

Sakura's face was noticeably blank, but Kurenai was smiling like it was her birthday for the whole week. Asuma still looked upset, which was definitely helping Hiashi remember that it wouldn't be a good idea to attack.

"Then we'll just see you to your new home, Hinata," Kurenai offered. "After all, you never know what kind of underhanded tactics some people might try at this time of night." She pointedly did not look at Hiashi, but she might as well have tacked his name onto the end of the statement.

Hinata bowed respectfully to her father, also not meeting his eyes as she backed away.

Sasuke stood there for a long moment, staring into Hiashi's eyes with all the hatred he could muster.

Hiashi stared right back at him, his face blank, save for the tiny twitch in his jaw. Then he turned on his heel and walked swiftly back into the Hyuuga compound.

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, and turned around to find Asuma puffing furiously at a cigarette. Kurenai was clearly disappointed, but Asuma shot her a look, as if to say, "It's either this, or I go after him and rip his head off," so Kurenai kept her mouth shut.

"He was going to kill you, wasn't he?"

This from Sakura, who was slowly becoming a sickly shade of green that did not go well with her pink hair. Clearly, she couldn't stomach the thought of a parent who might kill his own child. Sasuke wondered again if maybe she should just become a civilian before the idea of her being a kunoichi became widely accepted fact. Then, it wouldn't matter what her status was; other ninja would still try to kill her based solely on the fact that she'd had some training, and was therefore a threat. Sure, Hiashi disgusted him, too, but he wasn't about to throw up over it.

Hinata moved over to Sakura and began gently rubbing her back, speaking so low that Sasuke couldn't hear her very well. A pointed look from Asuma made him stop trying, and the group slowly moved towards the Uchiha compound.

By the time they got there, Sakura was looking much better, or at least not sick. She didn't resist at all when Hinata gave her a friendly hug, although she definitely stiffened when she noticed Sasuke watching her. Probably she was still mad about their last encounter, which was fine with him. An angry Sakura was better than one that followed him everywhere, as if she could compare to his Hinata-chan, with her soft, sweet lips, and her pale eyes that shone like the moon when...

He REALLY had to stop doing that, Sasuke thought to himself, shaking his head. Someone was going to mistake him for a lovestruck fool. Which he wasn't. Definitely not. Right.

"So I'm curious, Sasuke," Asuma said suddenly, getting his attention. "Exactly what were you going to do if we hadn't shown up?"

Sasuke considered the question for a few seconds, and decided the truth might be best instead of his usual vague, evasive answers. He did owe them, after all. "Honestly, I'm glad none of us will have to find out anytime soon."

Asuma chuckled at that, though Kurenai looked worried. Sakura was staring off into the distance, deep in thought about something. Hinata was sort of gazing at him in a way that implied she thought he'd planned the whole thing, and she was very impressed with him. Sasuke didn't know how to take that, but he didn't really feel like taking credit for dumb luck. Unless it wasn't dumb luck.

"How was it you three managed to come across us?" he asked, perhaps a little suspiciously.

"Funny story," Asuma replied, frowning thoughtfully. "I was supposed to meet Kakashi for drinks, but he canceled on me, and left a note that I should go find Kurenai instead."

"I was doing some extra training with Kurenai-sensei when someone threw a rock at me," Sakura added, frowning for a completely different reason. "There was a note tied to it that said we should go the Hyuuga compound..."

"And you just did what it said?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.

Sakura glared at him. "I recognized the handwriting, okay?" she snapped.

"And?"

Sakura paled slightly. "And it was someone I trust," she said simply.

Sasuke was about to open his mouth again, but Hinata cut him off.

"We're both very lucky that you all arrived in time. Thank you very much."

"I need to get home," Sakura muttered, clearly not wanting to be around Sasuke any longer.

Hinata gently grasped Sakura's hand before she could run off. "Thank you for your help, Sakura-chan."

Sakura managed a smile that made it look as if she were seconds away from bursting into tears. "You're welcome, Hinata-chan."

Sasuke scowled as the trio walked off. He was missing something, he just knew it.

"The note was from her father," Hinata added quietly.

"So?"

Hinata smiled sadly. "Sasuke-kun, Sakura's father has been dead for years."

THAT got Sasuke's attention. "And he often wraps notes around rocks and tosses them at her?"

"Of course not." Hinata stared in the direction that the trio had gone. "Someone was looking out for us tonight. And it wasn't Gaara. I doubt he knows anything about her family."

Sasuke stared at her. "You're trying to tell me that a dead man threw a rock at his daughter so she would come and save us, even though she hates me?"

Hinata sighed. "Tomorrow, I want you to ask Kakashi-san if he made any plans with Asuma-sensei tonight. If he says no, then I want you to admit that something strange is going on."

"Fine," Sasuke grunted as he turned and walked into the Uchiha compound. He hadn't gotten far when Hinata caught his hand.

"You saved me tonight, Sasuke-kun."

He grunted again. "You saved yourself."

"You got me to the wall," she countered.

"It wasn't much."

"It was everything!"

"What's your point?"

"You deserve a reward."

Suspecting he would regret doing so, Sasuke turned around, only to find Hinata standing VERY close to him. "I don't need to be rewarded. That wasn't the point of this."

"I know you don't NEED a reward," Hinata replied with a smile. "But you're getting one, anyway."

She was going to kiss him again. Sasuke knew this. But he also knew it was going to be the Best. Kiss. Ever. It was something in her eyes that told him.

Naturally, Gaara chose that moment to step out of the shadows. And if there was one thing Sasuke might never be able to do, it was get intimate with Hinata when Gaara was standing RIGHT THERE, just staring and barely breathing and radiating all the romantic atmosphere of a rotting corpse. Sasuke was so frustrated that he considered leaking just a little killing intent, just to let Gaara know he had totally ruined the moment. Then he realized that Gaara would just look at him even harder, which would definitely end any romantic thoughts for the whole night.

"It would seem we are meant to be a squad after all," Gaara said quietly. "I suggest you both get as much rest as you can, you especially, Sasuke. We will begin training tomorrow afternoon."

There was a slight pause, in which two of them expected Gaara to leave. When that didn't happen, they all stared at each other in confusion.

Gaara closed his eyes. "I will be staying on the grounds as well. I do not believe the danger has passed completely." With that, he turned to walk away.

"Thank you, taichou."

He paused, throwing a curious glance over his shoulder at Hinata. "For?"

She beamed at him. "Sasuke-kun didn't know any earth jutsu before today."

Gaara blinked. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean," he said at last, walking off without another word.

"This is going to be very weird," Sasuke sighed, shaking his head. "Come on, Hinata-chan. I'll show you where you'll be staying."

Hinata frowned slightly. "I remember where your room is, Sasuke-kun."

He stared at her uncertainly. "That's great, but what does that have to do... with..." His eyes widened. "Wait, did you mean-"

"Why would I stay anywhere else?"

Sasuke had an answer, but knew better than to say it out loud. "Hinata-chan... I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'm not quite ready to start rebuilding my clan just yet..."

"Who said anything about that?" Hinata asked. "I just want to sleep with you."

Sasuke opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Hinata seemed to realize that they were thinking two different things after a few seconds, though. "If I wake up in the middle of the night, I need to be able to see you," she explained. "That's all."

"Oh," Sasuke replied, sounding relieved. And then, sounding strangely disappointed, "Oh..."

"And when it IS time to rebuild our clan," Hinata added as she walked past him, "I'll be right there, so it's more convenient this way."

Sasuke swallowed hard. He'd never had to share his bed with anyone before, and certainly not with his future... well, present wife, technically. She wasn't a Hyuuga anymore, so what else could she be? They'd probably need to make it official right away, or at least Hinata would insist on it. Maybe if he arranged it on his own, without her prodding, she'd be willing to slow things down just a little. He didn't mind Hinata living in his house, or being in his room, but the bed thing was going to take some getting used to, especially if he was expected to keep his hands to himself.

* * *

_Sound Desert Base - October_

Iruka came to slowly, only to peer up into the grinning face of the Sound kunoichi that had captured him.

"Morning, shit stain," she said in a falsely bright tone.

Iruka would have glared at her, but he felt strangely woozy, and didn't want to think about why that might be. All he really wanted to do was go back to sleep, so he did the only thing that occurred to him. He stared directly at the girl's chest, hoping she would either kill him or knock him out.

Unfortunately, he had already forgotten that this girl was not the normal type, and so he was both disappointed, and yet pleasantly surprised when she thrust her chest out at him.

"Should've known my first catch would be a perv. Go on, get a good look, Leaf loser. You probably won't live long enough to see a better rack, so don't say I never did anything for you."

Iruka, feeling trapped, said the only thing he could think of. "Thank you?"

This, incredibly enough, was the right answer, because the girl grinned at him again. "Got good news. If the boss decides to kill you, he promised me he'd reanimate you so you could join my personal army. Y'know, to make up for the demon you damaged with that damn water jutsu."

Fortunately, Iruka had not really expected the good news to be all that good, and he was not disappointed this time. "It wasn't a water jutsu, not really. At least, there was no water in it."

The girl frowned at him. "The hell there wasn't! How else do you drown a demon?"

"You make him think he's drowning," Iruka replied with a weak smile.

Her eyes widened. "Sonuvabitch. Genjutsu?"

He nodded as best he could. "You won't be able to fix him. It's permanent. No matter what, he'll always believe he's drowning."

She glared at him. "You're lucky I don't kill you myself. Do you have any idea how hard it is to train those fuckers? And you just walk in here with your damn fuckin' kinjutsu, and don't tell me it wasn't, no way those Leaf pussies let you walk around doing that one whenever you damn well pleased."

"On the bright side," Iruka added, "you won't have to train me. I assume Orochimaru has a way of preserving any jutsu I know? It's just one of many tricks I come with."

She blinked, not having thought of that. "Shit, you're right." Then her eyes narrowed. "You're accepting this awfully fast. What's the deal, fuckwad?"

"I'm not really in a position to decide what happens to me anymore. I don't imagine Orochimaru ever releases prisoners, or that many manage to escape. So I guess I'm making the best of a bad situation. And if I'm going to die anyway, at least I'll have a cute mistress to serve."

"Are you hitting on me?" she demanded in disbelief.

"What are you going to do if I am? Kill me sooner?" He almost laughed.

"Hell no, dumbass! You have any idea how hard it is to get compliments around here?"

Iruka paused. "I could take a guess."

There was a dry chuckle as Orochimaru stepped into the room. "It's good to see the two of you getting along so well. That will be essential, if you're going to work together. Unfortunately, there is a small complication. The Sand has been told of Iruka's activities, and they want to punish him in some form. I'm not certain how they usually handle such offenses, but I've been assured that they'll leave you in one piece, at least, so there's that to look forward to."

"Why didn't you just have her kill me when she caught me?" Iruka asked, staring at the leader of the Sound. "Why go to all this trouble?"

"Sarutobi-sensei had enough faith in your abilities to send you here. I intend to learn exactly what you're capable of, and then take you far beyond that. You will become more powerful than you ever dared to dream."

"Not if it means serving you," Iruka said quietly.

Orochimaru laughed cruelly at him. "You speak as if you had a choice in the matter. But it is not me you will be serving. By drawing blood from Tayuya-chan's Cursed Seal, and using it as the ink to form your new seal, I can bind you to her will. You will exist solely to serve, protect, and please her. Your every breath will be devoted entirely to her satisfaction. Only the sound of her voice shall be able to calm the maelstrom of energy within you, once you are reborn."

Iruka slowly took in everything Orochimaru had just said. "You mean... I'll be in love with her?" he asked, his confusion obvious.

"You will be her slave. You will feel only what she permits you to."

Neither of them seemed to notice that Tayuya had turned as bright red as her hair at Iruka's comment.

* * *

Kakashi had something of a puzzle on his hands. After a very odd conversation with Asuma, he'd gone home to try and figure it out. Unfortunately (or very, VERY fortunately), Anko had been in a particularly frisky mood, and it was always best to put all thinking aside when she got like that. So a very long three hours later, Kakashi found himself in bed, still trying to reach a solution as Anko slept peacefully beside him, her arm draped possessively over his chest.

Asuma had gotten a note, supposedly from Kakashi, canceling their meeting at a bar. Only Kakashi had never written a note, and had been just as surprised to find Asuma had arrived at, and then left the bar at least an hour before Kakashi ever showed up. Because of that, Asuma had met up with Kurenai and Sakura, just in time to save Sasuke and Hinata. Even Gaara couldn't have planned the circumstances that precisely. There were other forces at work here.

But that was the problem. In his entire lifetime, Kakashi had only known of one other person that could reproduce his handwriting so perfectly. That same person had gotten plenty of practice, forging his name to countless bills for food, clothing, and the occasional naughty magazine subscription.

And the problem with that was that the person was long dead.

Kakashi stared at the note carefully with his Sharingan, but it revealed nothing to him. "Obito... are you still with me, even now?" he whispered.

"You ever call me that while we're making love, and it'll be the last thing you do," Anko muttered into his chest, still half-asleep.

Chuckling softly, Kakashi kissed the top of her head and put the mysterious note aside. There was no rush, after all. If Obito's spirit were still hanging around, he probably wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

* * *

Hanabi was in the midst of a small, but still very significant crisis. After promising Hinata that she would not get involved, she had immediately gone to her room, locked the door, and, at a complete loss, prayed, to nothing in particular and everything in general. This was a true sign that Hanabi was troubled, because she had never been religious, and firmly believed that as sweet as Hinata was, often that just wasn't enough to keep a person alive.

The woman had appeared after only a few minutes, and while Hanabi recognized her as the one that constantly followed Hinata around, this only confirmed, in her mind, that her sister was pretty much on her own now, and if that damned Uchiha messed things up, he would pay dearly.

Hanabi had simply told the woman that she wanted a way to protect Hinata without actually doing anything herself (for while Hanabi frequently lied about small things, she always kept her word). Perhaps it was her own fault for being vague, but the woman had left, and Hanabi assumed things would be taken care of.

A few hours later, the woman returned, confirming that Hinata was indeed safe inside the Uchiha compound. And then, in an offhand matter that annoyed Hanabi a great deal, she added that she was their mother.

This had not been well-received. Hanabi had been angry, more than anything. Why had their mother spent so much time with Hinata, even after she realized that Hanabi could see and hear her?

Her mother warned that she would not like the answer, several times, but eventually told Hanabi what she wanted to know.

"It will be a long time before you can accept this, but Hinata simply needed me more. Had I chosen to follow you, she might very well be dead right now. I chose the survival of both my daughters over the happiness of one. Would you have done it any differently, had you been in my place?"

The idea of Hinata being dead had taken away most of Hanabi's anger, but she was still upset. She felt like a consolation prize, that her mother was only communicating now because Hinata was with Sasuke. But Hanabi was not so distracted that she didn't notice some important things.

First and foremost, her mother seemed to have... power. She could get things done, somehow influencing the living so that her will was carried out. Hanabi had no idea how she'd saved Hinata, only that she had done it, and on short notice, too.

She also had knowledge of things Hanabi had wondered about for some time. For example, she knew that the spirit with Gaara was his own mother, and that she, too, could influence things with her will, but usually that went no further than the sand in Gaara's gourd. She had also explained, laughing all the while, that Gaara's mother did not sometimes turn into a man, but that she had a brother who greatly resembled her, and was also apparently bound to Gaara somehow.

However Hanabi ultimately felt about her mother, it was clear that the woman's aid would be of great use to her. She could communicate easily with the other spirits, and if nothing else, Hanabi felt she was owed a certain amount of time with the woman, having gone without for so long.

The downside to all of this was that Hanabi had seen none of it in a vision, so she was just making educated guesses as to what she should do. Therefore, she could not really be blamed for approaching the situation as a typical Hyuuga would: demanding a service, and expecting something at least approaching equal value in return.

And while Hinata had not seen their mother since she'd died giving birth to Hanabi, even she could have told her younger sister that the results would have been far better, had she simply asked for a favor, between daughter and mother. But this would never occur to Hanabi, because, ironically, she hadn't had a mother to teach her such things.

The end result was that they reached an agreement, and this satisfied Hanabi, for the moment. She would have access to her mother's aid when necessary, and in return, she would perform small tasks at her mother's request, no matter how strange they might seem. Even though Hanabi technically owed her mother far more than the woman owed her child, both parties felt they had gotten the better part of the deal. Hanabi would learn more about this mysterious woman, who seemed, at first glance, to be a fair, if not good mother.

The mother, on the other hand, felt it was time her youngest child learned a few things about compassion, trust, and the inevitable pain of placing needs before wants. The first lesson would focus on how to address one's mother with the proper respect and warmth, especially considering that one's mother gave one life (at the cost of her own, in this case). Frankly, she was amazed that Hinata had managed to win any loyalty from Hanabi without first demanding some level of respect.

If Hanabi had responded that well to the promise of regular affection, it was no wonder she didn't have stronger bonds with the rest of the clan: they were all far too busy keeping their distance, and had even handed down punishments to Hinata when they'd decided she was being overprotective of Hanabi. That had never really done any good: Hanabi had noticed very quickly that only Hinata ever held her or was even remotely friendly, and from the moment she had learned to walk, she had been following Hinata anywhere she could manage to. The elders complained, the clan council worried, and Hiashi did not approve, but since Hinata wasn't technically doing anything but walking, she could hardly be blamed for Hanabi shadowing her, any more than she could take back all the hugs and kisses that had inspired Hanabi's devotion in the first place.

But Hinata was out of their hands now, or at least the mother was willing to entrust her to Sasuke for the time being. Hinata had a good enough head on her shoulders, but Hanabi would need some work. It was best to get started right away, too. Once word of Hinata's leaving spread, the clan council would react quickly (and probably foolishly) to select another heir. Hanabi could still become a member of the Branch House, so it was time she developed certain skills that made her too valuable to be cast aside. If there was one thing the Hyuuga Clan was good at, it was recognizing those with undeniable power that could uplift the name of the clan… so long as they hadn't been sealed yet.

**End of Chapter 11.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Sasuke's (copied) jutsu:

**Tsuchi Bunshin no Jutsu (Earth Clone Technique): **Similar to Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique), creates one or more identical copies of the user basically out of nowhere. These clones are physically real and can perform jutsu and damage on their target, beyond taking some hits themselves, although they'll turn back into mud when enough damage has been done, which is usually after one blow or fatal attack.

**Doton: Doryuheki (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall): **The user creates a wall in front of them by spewing out a stream of mud from the mouth that quickly solidifies into a strong, protective wall.

Iruka's jutsu:

**Magen: Juso no Kurai Kaisui (Demonic Illusion: Curse of Dark Ocean Water): **A forbidden genjutsu technique that causes the target to continuously believe they are drowning. This effect is permanent, recurring any time the victim is conscious.


	12. Big Brother Shisui

Notes: Because the relation between Itachi and Shisui is never defined (to my knowledge, anyway), I assume they're cousins. It makes the most sense, and since the Hyuuga provide the most detailed example of how clan life works, it's likely that Itachi and Sasuke had cousins around the same ages as them.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 12: Big Brother Shisui**

* * *

_5 Years, 11 Months in Konoha - October_

Uchiha Shisui was the first famous relative that Sasuke ever learned about. Sasuke could only remember actually speaking to him a couple of times, and what stuck with him was that Shisui had not seemed all that heroic. He was scruffy, lanky, consistently drowsy, and never seemed to be in a great hurry to do anything. There was a small scar just below his left eye, where someone had made a failed attempt to steal his Sharingan.

The stories all told of a different Shisui: of one who had nearly lost both his eyes and his life as a genin, all because he had been too slow. From that point on, Shisui devoted himself entirely to speed. At the peak of his career, he could fire off multiple jutsu in what seemed to be the space of a second for anyone watching him, and complete a movement before the suspicion of it was even half-formed in his opponent's head. In battle he was constantly in motion, but outside of it, he never wasted any energy. Anyone that dared to call him lazy was quickly referred to his impressive service record, yet another stamp of pride on the Uchiha name. The whole clan seemed to believe that he would go on to become something truly special.

But because Itachi had loved him, he just turned out to be the last Uchiha whose body was attended to by blood relatives, and the first of Itachi's true victims. It was Shisui's death that had given Itachi the Mangekyou, and his life that had made it possible. Itachi had seen Shisui as his brother... and, to a lesser extent, so had Sasuke.

At least, Shisui had treated him like a younger brother. He would ruffle Sasuke's hair whenever he passed him, or call him "Sasuke-chan" just to get a rise out of him. It was just light teasing, never anything mean-spirited, the kind of thing Sasuke got from several of his other older cousins. They all seemed to realize that Itachi rarely interacted with Sasuke, and Shisui, not unlike Sasuke's own mother, went out of his way to make sure Sasuke got at least some attention.

In a way, the story of Shisui's "suicide" did hold water. He had sealed his own fate by being so likable. In a clan where the ultimate power could be obtained by killing a loved one, he'd never stood a chance. If Itachi or Sasuke hadn't killed him, someone else would have at some point. He didn't deserve to die like that, but that didn't mean it wouldn't have happened, anyway.

Sasuke didn't miss Shisui, exactly. They hadn't spent that much time together: Shisui was usually with Itachi, after all. He was sorry that Shisui was dead, and upset that his death had given Itachi the power to wipe out their clan. Beyond that, he sometimes recalled Shisui's slightly crooked smile, but that was about it.

The first night that Sasuke spent in bed with Hinata, though, he dreamed that Shisui was standing at the foot of the bed, watching them with a strange expression on his face. Even when he woke up, Sasuke felt as if someone had been there, though he could not say why. He was tempted to do a search of the compound, but decided against it. Anyone wandering around would no doubt run into Gaara, and while the redhead didn't actually get sleepy, he might have been less inclined to be merciful with any dark figure he ran across in the middle of the night. Sasuke had no intention of being that person, so he stayed in bed, closed his eyes, and tried not to think of dead relatives. It didn't work, at least not until Hinata shifted slightly so that her head came to rest against his shoulder. Although then Sasuke had plenty of problems trying not to think of HER, though it was a welcome change from the usual topics in his dreams.

* * *

_5 Years, 11 Months in Suna - October_

Temari was on her way to the Kazekage's official interrogation room when something warm and furry rubbed against her cheek. She tensed, and had just started to reach for her fan when Meg sighed and said, "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but those boys are starting to get on my nerves."

"Telling those awful jokes again?" Temari guessed with a grin as she lightly stroked the weasel's back.

"Worse. They dragged Kankurou into it. So where we going?"

"My father has something he wants me to see. Probably he just caught a spy."

Meg blinked. "Oh. So you probably don't want to walk in with a pet, huh?"

"It won't matter," Temari assured her. "My father knows you can fight, and might even ask us to get some information out of the prisoner. I know that's not really your thing, so I'll understand if you want to go."

"You shouldn't be alone when you do things like this," Meg decided, carefully sliding her body between Temari's fan and shoulder. That way she was still close to Temari's ear, but out of sight of anyone who wasn't already looking for her.

"Well, here we go," Temari muttered as she spotted the lone guard outside of the room. He saw her coming and stepped aside with a respectful nod, unlocking the door and opening it for her.

The room had a dark, damp feel to it, which was admittedly odd for Suna, but special care had gone into designing this particular room. The Kazekage was standing in front of the prisoner with his back to the door. The prisoner was chained to the wall, his feet several inches off of the floor. What really got Temari's attention was the presence of Tayuya, one of Orochimaru's personal bodyguards. She was almost never seen away from his side, so it was odd that she'd be there without him. It was also odd that she seemed slightly uncomfortable. Every other time Temari had seen her, she'd been glaring at something or someone. Today, she looked as if she'd rather be somewhere else.

"Our Sound allies have discovered a spy, Temari," the Kazekage said quietly. "Do you recognize him?"

Temari stepped around her father and came to a complete stop, barely able to keep the shock out of her face.

The prisoner was Iruka.

She had known that he was more than just a simple liaison from Konoha, of course. He had given her that black hat that Naruto swore had Gaara's scent on it. He always sent her lilies anonymously on her birthday, by way of some flower shop no one in Suna had ever heard of. He was also careful never to ask her about Naruto, which was more telling than anything else. Had it not been for that, she might have just assumed he was just an older man flirting with her. But their contact had always been just shy of frequent, which Temari knew was by design. Iruka didn't want anyone thinking that they actually knew each other, and apparently that had been a good idea, if whatever he'd been doing had gotten him into this position.

Temari said nothing as she stared at his face. She couldn't say anything, after all. Admitting that she knew Iruka beyond an occasional glance would bring suspicion upon her, and then she would be in no position to save him. It would be hard enough convincing Naruto that he needed to be saved at all.

"He's the liaison from Konoha," she answered simply.

"Was," the Kazekage corrected smoothly. "He was caught with sensitive information concerning the Sound. They have turned him over to us, temporarily, as an act of good faith. He might have certain information on us, as well. We need to find out all that he knows."

Temari glanced at Tayuya, who was staring hard at the wall. "What do you want me to do, Kazekage-sama?"

"Break his arms."

Temari blinked, but there was no change in Tayuya's expression, so she immediately strode forward, pulled out her fan, and delivered two swift, heavy blows, closing her eyes against the sound of Iruka's bones shattering. It was nothing she enjoyed, and she knew Iruka would not hold this against her, considering the circumstances, but she still hated herself for doing it just because her father had told her to.

To his credit, Iruka did not scream. He gritted his teeth, and probably bit his tongue, if the blood that leaked from his mouth was any indicator. It was both possible and likely that he was bleeding internally from whatever they'd done to him beforehand, but that he chose that moment to finally show it pointed to Temari's blows being more responsible, at least in her mind.

"I suggest," the Kazekage said calmly, "that you start talking, Iruka. Your next interrogator will have my full permission to do whatever it takes to loosen your tongue. And he has been known to be over-enthusiastic when it comes to mindless bloodshed."

Iruka slowly, and with great effort, lifted his head. "I will gladly tell the young Uzumaki anything he asks of me."

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed. "You're not a very good spy, then. He hasn't answered to that name for some time, and he never will again."

"It's how I knew him, and it would also tell him exactly where I knew him from."

"I would think you'd want to hide that. He is not what you would call fond of Leaf-nin. I'm sure I don't have to tell you why."

Iruka managed a pained smile. "I have nothing to hide from him anymore. I gave up on ever going home a long time ago. I'll tell Naruto everything you want to know... but only him, and Kabuto."

The Kazekage studied him carefully for a long moment. "Fine. But if you're expecting mercy from that pair, you'll be waiting a long time." With that, he turned around and left the room.

"If you're thinking of doing something," Iruka grunted the moment the Kazekage was gone, "then don't, Temari."

Temari blinked, surprised that he was speaking freely with Tayuya in the room, so apparently they had an understanding. "Yeah, because you really look like all your plans have been working out great," she snapped.

Iruka shook his head. "It's too late, anyway. There's no point in you getting dragged into my mess."

"Then why will you only speak to Naruto? What's he got to do with this?"

"Everything. He's the reason I'm here, and the only reason the Leaf is still allied with the Sand. You don't really think the Sandaime Hokage would maintain relations with a village that welcomes one of Konoha's most wanted missing-nin? It is... possible he doesn't know that much yet, but the moment he even suspects it, the so-called alliance between our two villages is dead. And if that happens before the chuunin exams, you can expect to find the Leaf much better prepared for your invasion, and that's assuming they're still willing to let you in."

Temari frowned. "What happened to only talking to Naruto?"

"That's just common sense, Temari. I haven't told you anything that your father doesn't already know for certain. If I wanted to surprise you, I'd say something like certain people in Konoha have started to accept that Naruto and Kyuubi are two different entities."

Temari bit her lip. "Is that true?" she asked softly.

"He said it, didn't he?" Tayuya snapped, shooting her a dark look. "He may be a lot of things, but he's no liar."

Temari could think of no reply to that, considering what Iruka was charged with. She was really starting to wonder why Tayuya would stick up for someone endangering her village... but then, Temari was in the same situation herself, although it was her village's treachery that made spies like Iruka all the more necessary. They were extremely lucky that he seemed to be the only one, all things considered. Iruka was perhaps the trustworthiest spy she'd ever met.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one who thought so, because Meg finally spoke up. "You know, he doesn't smell like a bad guy, Temari," she whispered. "Just, um, bloody, and that's not really his fault. I feel kinda bad that you had to hit him like that. Maybe we can... oh, wait, here comes Naruto."

The door opened again, and Naruto walked into the room, followed closely by Kabuto. Fortunately, Iruka had been allowed to wear a Sand chuunin vest and forehead protector as part of his job, to avoid attracting too much attention, so Naruto didn't immediately recognize him as a Leaf-nin. Kabuto obviously did, because that creepy smile instantly appeared on his face as he addressed them.

"I understand that Naruto-kun and I are meant to question the prisoner alone. I must ask everyone else to leave the room... and that includes you, Tayuya-chan. Don't worry, I'll be sure to fix anything we might damage during the interrogation."

Tayuya scowled at him, and glanced at Iruka one last time before stomping out of the room.

"So what's the deal with this guy, Temari?" Naruto asked quietly, staring at Iruka curiously. "Why is he so important?"

Temari closed her eyes. "He was sent by the Sandaime Hokage."

Naruto froze, his eyes widening. "What...?"

"He's been watching you, making sure you were still alive, and reporting back to Konoha. But since he knows about the invasion, the Sound can't trust him." Temari opened her eyes and placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder. "He's the one that gave me Gaara's hat. He'll tell you anything you want, so don't hurt him if you don't have to."

Naruto blinked slowly, and for an instant, Temari thought she could see the start of tears in his blue eyes. But then it was gone, his face slipping into an unreadable mask as he moved past her.

"Don't worry," Meg whispered. "Naruto will do the right thing. It's Kabuto I'd be worried about, and I don't think Naruto will let him do anything too bad."

Temari desperately hoped that Meg was right as she slipped out of the room. Iruka didn't deserve to die, not when he'd risked exposure to tell her about Gaara. Naruto would understand that, but even if Kabuto did as well, he was a Sound-nin. There was no telling what he might have orders to do, or what he'd do simply because he felt like it.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Anko-san?" Ayame murmured for the third time as they approached the Uchiha compound. "Maybe he's just really busy with something..."

Anko rolled her eyes. "So? Gaara is my kid, and no kid of mine stays out all night without at least leaving a note."

Ayame frowned. "Has he ever left a note?"

"No, but usually he gives me some warning. So you can see why I'd make such a big deal out of this. Besides, you couldn't really carry all this food by yourself, could you?"

Ayame blushed and looked away from Anko's knowing gaze. She hoped she wasn't being too bold by making lunch for Gaara's team without asking first. Gaara had never actually been mad at her, so she had no idea how he'd react. Sasuke and Hinata had begun eating at Ichiraku's often enough that she knew their usual orders, and neither seemed to have a problem with her (Sasuke was a little cold, but nearly every male Uchiha she'd met had been to some degree). Then again, she'd also brought three back up meals, just in case they preferred something other than their usual. Her father hadn't been happy about giving out six free meals, especially when he knew Gaara's two might go to waste, but kept his mouth shut because it was Gaara in the first place.

Both of them recalled how Gaara had kept them inside while Uchiha Itachi had murdered his clan. No one other than guards and ANBU were hurt or killed, but that didn't mean Itachi wouldn't have taken out anyone that happened to come across his path that day. Gaara had very likely saved their lives, and that was enough for them. And even if he didn't care for ramen, he almost never ate anywhere else.

Anko had been teasing Ayame about her feelings for Gaara for years now, even when Gaara was standing right there. It never got a reaction out of him, although Ayame would turn bright red and do her best not to meet his eyes. Honestly, she wouldn't have been surprised if he chose someone else in the end. All she really had to offer him was her feelings themselves, and Gaara had not proven to be big on feelings.

But soon the Uchiha compound loomed before them, and it was too late to turn back. Ayame took a deep breath as she followed Anko through the gates, and quickly released it. Everything looked... deserted. True, Sasuke had been living there, alone, for some time, but he clearly stayed in one particular section, and made no attempts to spruce up anything else. She couldn't really blame him; most days Ayame did her best not to look at the pictures of her mother. There was too much pain to have to deal with it every single day, and it was far easier just to put it out of the mind whenever possible.

It was terribly easy to find Gaara's team. For one thing, there were nine of them, instead of the expected three. Two Sasukes were surrounded, and being attacked, by a circle of two Gaaras and two Hinatas. The Gaaras were using long tentacles of sand, while the Hinatas relied on typical Gentle Fist taijutsu. The Sasukes weren't doing so well: primarily, they were concerned with the tentacles, which struck with far more force than Hinata's hands. But in dodging those, they often ended up leaping right into Hinata's hands, and the decrease in speed that resulted from her hits only left them open to more sand tentacles.

Off to the side, a Hinata knelt in front of yet another Sasuke, carefully studying his slightly bloody arm, while another Gaara stood over her.

"I still think you need more time to recover, Sasuke-kun," Hinata was saying as Anko and Ayame drew closer. "You were under so much pressure yesterday, and your body is still tired from it."

"For the last time, I'm fine," Sasuke snapped, though his words lacked a certain venom they might usually contain, a further sign that Hinata's concerns were not unfounded. "I just need to catch my breath, and then I'll-" Whatever else he was going to say, no one found out, because Hinata suddenly stood up, slipped her hand behind his neck, and pulled him in close for a deep, passionate kiss. When she finally let go several seconds later, there was a glazed look in Sasuke's eyes, and his mouth was hanging open slightly.

"If he can't even dodge my kisses, he needs to rest," Hinata decided, turning to Gaara.

"You're assuming that he would even want to," Gaara replied. "Despite all his protests, I have yet to see him dodge a kiss even once. So either he has no future as a ninja, or you need a way of distracting him that he doesn't find quite so pleasant."

Hinata blushed, and was saved the trouble of producing a suitable reply when Anko casually threw a kunai, aiming for the back of Gaara's neck. Instead of impacting against the usual sand shield, however, one of the Gaara clones broke away from the sparring group and slapped the kunai back towards Anko with a sand tentacle. She caught it, of course, a little startled at how much force had been behind it. She quickly shook her head and glared at Gaara... the real one, who was staring at her in mild annoyance.

"We are training," he said simply.

"No, YOU are late," Anko corrected. "Do you know how worried I was?"

"Not at all?" Gaara offered, seemingly bored with the conversation.

Anko stuck out her tongue at him. "Well, yeah, but it's the principle of the thing! If you're going to be out all night, the least you could do is let one of us know!"

"We've already established that you weren't worried. What would have been the point?"

"Kakashi and I are responsible for you, that's the point! It doesn't matter if no one can hurt you, or if no one would bother to kidnap you, or if you just wanted to goof around for a change. The fact is that we're your guardians now, and you can't just act like that doesn't matter, because it does to us!"

Gaara simply stared at Anko as she finished her rant. Then he walked over, took her hand, and placed it on top of his head. "Sasuke liberated Hinata from the Hyuuga last night, and I wanted to be sure they kept their distance. I spent most of the night designing sand traps around the compound. Also, as of today, I've moved out." After a slight pause, he added in a tone that was more explanatory than apologetic, "Sorry."

"I'll start bringing your stuff over tonight," Anko replied without missing a beat. Then, as an afterthought, she licked her thumb and carefully wiped at a small red scratch on his cheek. "How did that happen?"

"Hinata needed to see the difference between the way I heal, and the way everyone else does." Gaara finally noticed the three bowls she was holding with one arm. "What is that?"

"Oh, right! Ayame-chan was sweet enough to make lunch for all of you."

Hinata and Sasuke immediately perked up at the mention of food, so Ayame quickly unwrapped and passed out their meals. They both thanked her (Sasuke grunted, but she assumed the sentiment was there). Gaara said nothing when Ayame handed him his bowl, but he ate every bite, which she considered a personal victory.

All too soon, Gaara's team noticed that there were three more bowls that nobody was eating. Only Hinata was polite enough to ask if they could have those, too.

"Um, I'm not sure if you'll like them," Ayame replied as she hesitantly unwrapped one of the bowls that Anko had been carrying. "We don't get much demand for this particular meal..."

Without a word, Gaara took the bowl from Ayame and began to eat that as well.

"Ah, Gaara-kun is the only one who ever orders it," Ayame offered helpfully, smiling as she watched him eat. "I suppose it's the name that throws people off."

"Tanukiudon," Sasuke muttered, a blank expression on his face. "One of my cousins used to tell me that there was actually tanuki meat in it."

Ayame smiled and shook her head. "He was only teasing. I've made the dish several times, and I've never used anything like that."

Sasuke still didn't look convinced, not even when Hinata asked to try a bowl. He also made a point of not looking when she tasted it.

"You should try it, Sasuke-kun. It's not bad," Hinata decided.

He scowled at her. "I am not going to-"

"Come on, just a little?" Hinata insisted with a grin, waving the bowl under his nose. When Sasuke still didn't take the bait, she made a show of dipping a finger into the bowl, scooping up a noodle, placing one end between her lips, and very slowly sucking up the rest of it.

Sasuke turned a spectacular shade of red, but still refused.

Pouting, Hinata started to lick her finger clean, then thought better of it and teasingly traced Sasuke's lips with the finger until he opened his mouth, if for no other reason than to keep her from wiping the rest of the bowl's contents all over his face.

Ayame felt like she should look away, but found she just couldn't. After Sasuke had sucked Hinata's finger clean, she proceeded to happily feed him the rest of her bowl, which he ate without any further protest. Ayame thought about offering them the last bowl, but discovered that Gaara had eaten that during Hinata and Sasuke's little scene. Maybe he wouldn't admit to liking the dish, but he certainly had no problems eating more than one helping of it.

"Sasuke. Hinata," Gaara said the moment everyone was done eating. "Continue to work on the healing exercise. I must speak with Ayame."

Blushing bright red, Ayame followed Gaara to the gates of the Uchiha compound, wondering what he couldn't say to her in the presence of others.

Gaara stopped abruptly and turned to face her. With deliberate slowness, he reached out and firmly grasped her wrist. "You must never bring us lunch here again, Ayame."

Ayame's mouth dropped open in shock, the hurt flashing in her eyes as she looked away. "Oh. I-I understand..." she said softly. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to run away, so Gaara wouldn't see her cry. The only problem was, he still hadn't let go of her. Ayame was a little puzzled about that, until she heard Gaara's next words.

"I do not want Hinata and Sasuke to come to expect such luxuries regularly. From now on, we will come to you instead. The walk will give them time to reflect on what they have learned, and to practice certain techniques. That time is essential to our advancement, and must not be disrupted."

She nodded, feeling a lot better. "Of course. I'm sorry, Gaara-kun! I didn't mean to-"

"You have done nothing wrong," Gaara interrupted. "Sasuke is in no shape to train much longer today. The walk would not have helped in this case." He paused, peering at her closely. "Why did you do this, Ayame?" Gaara asked quietly.

She blushed, looking at the ground. "I-I wanted to help you, Gaara-kun. This was the only thing I could think of, so I thought... I hoped that, maybe..."

"Thank you."

Ayame blinked and slowly lifted her head. Gaara was staring at her, in much the same way he always did. But somehow, she felt closer to him now, and perhaps that was why she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him impulsively. She was even more delighted when she felt the slight pressure of Gaara's hands on her back.

"You smell like ramen," Gaara noted suddenly.

Blushing, Ayame started to pull away, but Gaara's hands remained firmly on her back.

"I did not say it was an unpleasant smell," he added.

Thoroughly confused, but still deliriously happy, Ayame allowed herself to enjoy the hug again. Then, more than any other moment they had shared, she knew that she was hopelessly in love with Gaara. Every other boy that had commented on the way she smelled had immediately followed it up by trying to "taste" her, which had resulted in Ayame developing quite a solid right hook, for a civilian (Sakura had been a big help, offering unlimited lessons in "man-handling," and Kiba had been a rather unwilling test subject, but she'd paid them back with a ton of Ichiraku coupons). But Gaara wasn't like those boys, and he could honestly appreciate the smell without turning it into something dirty.

Although if he kept hugging her like that, her cheeks would be permanently stained red.

"Um, Gaara-kun? I kinda need to get back to Ichiraku's. Have to make up for those six bowls, you know..."

Gaara blinked and slowly released her. "I see," he said simply.

"If you ever change your mind, though, I'd be glad to serve you all again!" Ayame offered, slowly backing away from him.

"I will keep that in mind," Gaara replied with a nod.

With an enormous grin on her face, Ayame happily hurried off with a skip in her step.

Gaara watched her for a few more seconds before going back inside.

* * *

Naruto had believed for quite some time that when next he saw someone from Konoha, not only would he have to kill them, he'd take great pleasure in doing so.

But Iruka complicated that fantasy. He was an agent of the Sandaime Hokage, a friend of Temari, and one of the few people that had ever greeted Naruto with a genuine smile (this was very impressive, considering that Kabuto hadn't tended to his broken arms until afterwards). He answered all of Naruto's questions in surprising detail, from why he hadn't approached Naruto earlier, to how he had been captured. The strange thing was that Iruka seemed to bear no ill will to anyone: not the Kazekage, Temari, or even the Sound kunoichi that had caught him (he slipped and called her "Tayuya-chan" more than once, something Naruto noticed made Kabuto smirk each time). When Naruto asked about that, Iruka simply said that he understood that ninja had to do certain things for their villages, and that it was pointless to hold personal grudges unless the enemy went out of their way to make the matters personal.

Naruto got the distinct impression that he could trust Iruka, although that belief was challenged when they reached the subject of Orochimaru. Iruka did not outright say that Orochimaru was untrustworthy, but he urged Naruto, several times, to be careful around the man. Naruto assumed this was because Iruka was Orochimaru's prisoner, but Iruka insisted he would've said the same thing, had they met when he was still free.

They even talked about Konoha, or Naruto listened while Iruka talked about it. It was startling to learn how easily Gaara had made a place for himself. Naruto was jealous about that, considering all he'd had to go through in Suna, but at the same time, he was glad nobody had made it easy for him. He'd worked hard and earned every single thing he had now, and he was intensely proud of that fact. Still, he found his thoughts wandering back to some of the few people he had somewhat decent memories of. He remembered stealing steaks from the butcher with Kiba, Ayame hiding him behind the counter at Ichiraku's when other kids ganged up on him, and the way Sakura's green eyes lit up whenever she was happy.

It was funny, though. Naruto could vividly picture Sakura in his mind even now. But the warm, fluttery feeling in his gut whenever he thought of her had faded over time. He couldn't explain it, and somehow he knew that if he saw Sakura today, she would be even lovelier, but he would only stare for a minute, where he once would have for hours. There were just more important things in his life, and no time to drool over a girl that wouldn't even talk to him, outside of yelling at him for stalking her. Sakura was his first crush, but as far as Naruto was concerned, Kin was his first love.

But when Naruto ran out of questions, and Kabuto took over the interrogation, he realized that he had a big problem. Naruto was really in no position to help Iruka, as he was a prisoner of the Sound. Sure, he could test the waters with Orochimaru, and possibly find out what was in store for Iruka, but if the man was important enough to Orochimaru, nothing in the world could free him without great difficulty. He had to do something, though. Temari was counting on him.

All too soon, Kabuto was done with his questions as well. Iruka had been just as cooperative with him as he'd been with Naruto, so there had been no point in making him suffer.

Naruto paused, glancing at Kabuto, who was waiting for him in the doorway, and then at Iruka, who was watching him curiously.

"Why did you trust me?" Naruto asked quietly. "I thought everyone in Konoha thought I was a monster."

Iruka smiled sadly. "I saw the Kyuubi with my own eyes. I felt the intensity of its chakra. It is not something that can ever be forgotten. If you are a monster, Naruto, you are not that one. In all the time I have watched you, you have never even come close to the sheer, overwhelming force I felt that fateful night, and I pray you will never find yourself in a situation where you would need to."

Naruto stared at him in surprise. "That's the only reason?"

Iruka shook his head weakly. "The Kyuubi killed my parents. To this day, I still bear chakra burns from trying to put out the accursed flames that cremated them on the spot. I could blame you for their deaths, but there would be no point. You were only a baby yourself when they died, and you lost your parents, too. What kind of person would I be, to hurt someone who suffered even more than I did? You are one of the few that can truly understand the pain of my loss, and it is because of you that so many others in Konoha did not have to suffer the same tragedy. You are a hero, Naruto, and anyone who refuses to see that deserves to face the full extent of the Kyuubi's fury."

"Careful what you wish for," Naruto warned him in a solemn tone.

Iruka smiled at him. "Naruto... there is a very good chance that, if you see me again, I will be a vastly different person. But you must remember me as I am now, and remember the words I have said to you this day. Promise me you will never fail to do what you know in your heart is right. And promise me that, if you have the opportunity in the future, you will send me to join my parents."

For a moment, Naruto saw Baki hanging from the wall in Iruka's place, that same terrible, gaping, bloody gash stretching from his left shoulder all the way down to the right side of his waist. In that instant, Naruto felt Kyuubi stirring within him. Normally, the fox kept quiet during the day, or when they weren't training, and it was almost never a good thing when he decided to speak up at other times.

"I'd listen to him if I were you, brat. You've never seen one of Orochimaru's experiments in action. At the very least, this one will have jounin level power the next time you see him, and he knows more about you than you do about him. You need to be ready for him, because he will kill you to get to me. He may not know it now, but he at least suspects it. You're lucky he's warning you at all."

Naruto quickly ran from the room, ignoring Kabuto calling his name. He kept running until it should have been humanly impossible, and then Kyuubi's chakra flared, giving him the strength to go on.

"Run all you like, brat," Kyuubi sighed in his head. "But you can't outrun destiny. Either you kill Iruka, or he'll hound you for the rest of your life."

* * *

If asked, Hinata would not be able to say what had compelled her to explore the Uchiha compound on her own. For weeks after the Uchiha massacre, she had heard horror stories about how whole ANBU squads had been slaughtered by some of the traps Itachi left behind. But it was impossible to determine whether or not the rumors were true: Itachi was certainly diabolical enough to do so, and who would better know ANBU's weak points than a former squad captain? Aside from that, Sasuke refused to address the rumors at all, so he either knew too much or nothing at all.

What Hinata did know for a fact was that both ANBU, and the Sandaime Hokage himself, had performed several sweeps of the compound, and deemed it safe enough. This either meant that it was safe enough for habitation, or only safe enough for Uchiha habitation. She did not doubt that some of the traps would only have been disabled by Uchiha blood, most of which Sasuke would have taken care of long ago. He had assured her, quietly, with an unreadable expression on his face, that anything of significant value had been moved to within walking distance of his room, and that there was really no need to keep in place the security measures that had once protected his home. Nobody would dare to set foot on the "cursed land" anymore: even Sasuke didn't want to be there at least half of the time.

Now that they had to worry about the Hyuuga, though, Gaara had invented his own security system, composed largely of well-placed, hidden pits with various nasty surprises awaiting at the bottoms. There was also now a great deal of loose sand scattered about the grounds. Sasuke had asked Gaara what it was for, and the eerie smile that he recieved as an answer had convinced him not to ask a second time.

Hinata was not worried about Gaara's traps: those, at least, she could spot easily with her Byakugan (she had figured out that the sand would play a large role in actually forcing invaders into the pits, or simply killing them on the spot). But the Uchiha would not have survived as long as they had, if they hadn't had some sort of defense against potential Hyuuga attackers, so when Hinata did walk around unsupervised, she did so slowly, and with the utmost care. Sasuke had asked her not to test her luck with anything that appeared to be locked or extremely well hidden, and there had been enough concern in his voice that Hinata took him all too seriously.

And yet, there was something in her (or outside of her, she still wasn't clear on where the urgings originated from) that insisted she look for... something. She had no idea what it might be, only that she would probably know it when she saw it. Maybe.

In all, the search only took three days. On the third day, Hinata wandered into a bedroom, stopped, and noticed something... off. It was very clean and orderly, only showing the faintest signs of dust or age. Sasuke never bothered to clean a room that he didn't use frequently, and with Hinata sharing his bed and Gaara pretty much wandering around nonstop when they weren't training, there was no other bedroom that demanded Sasuke's attention. That meant that this room had probably been clean even before, and remained untouched during, the massacre.

The first area that Hinata examined with her Byakugan was the floor: a lot of the traps were based on hidden pressure plates or weak spots in the floor. But the only thing her caution showed her was a large box, one that greatly resembled a coffin. In the box were two swords. On the outside, carved with what had probably been a very dull kunai, were the words, "For Sasuke-chan."

Hinata debated telling Sasuke about this for ten very long minutes. At first glance, it seemed to be a morbid joke, one that Sasuke would not appreciate at all. But after carefully turning the matter over in her mind, Hinata saw that she had been mistaken. The box was, again, large: far too large for Sasuke's current size. However, and this spoke volumes to Hinata, she thought it would be an exact fit for Itachi, in a few years time. The swords also reminded Hinata of her last promise to Hanabi, and in the end, she was unable to ignore how coincidental it all seemed.

Sasuke dug up the box that very same day, cleaned the swords carefully, and spent a great deal of time simply staring at the blades as he held them in his lap.

Hinata thought it was best not to interrupt him. It also didn't seem like Sasuke would be parting with either of the swords, which left Hinata to wonder yet again where she was supposed to get one. True, she could probably just buy one, or even ask Sasuke to get one for her, but neither of those quite seemed like the opportunity that Hanabi had alluded to. Hinata had learned to trust her sister's intuition, if for no other reason than no one else in her former clan was willing to help her.

* * *

"Something doesn't smell right," Inuzuka Kiba muttered, glancing around the training area suspiciously. For once, he didn't mean that literally, though.

Sakura had asked him to meet her here, and she was always on time. For her to be late, she'd either have to be very sick, or... well, she COULDN'T be that, he was certain of it. He would know if it were that. At least, he believed he would know.

Certain members of his clan believed it was possible to identify the person that was meant to be yours by sight and/or smell, and Kiba had slowly come around to thinking that his might be Haruno Sakura (but only after she'd gotten over Sasuke, her fear of sweat, and the rather silly notion that dogs were always dirty). If Sakura really was his chosen one, and if the legends were true, he would instinctively know if she was sick, dying, or dead. There was no real way to test this, since Sakura hadn't been sick in all the time he'd known her, and he certainly wasn't going to get her sick on purpose. Still, it was a comforting thought, and one Kiba clung to with his usual enthusiasm.

Five minutes after the agreed upon meeting time, Kiba began to get restless.

Five minutes after THAT, Akamaru began to whine and paw uneasily at Kiba's foot. Kiba shot him a reassuring grin, but it had little effect on the dog. Lately, Akamaru had been getting very picky about how he got around: it was either Kiba's head, or Sakura's arms (which only further convinced Kiba that Sakura was his... well, theirs).

Fifteen minutes after that, Kiba firmly decided that something was wrong. But he couldn't just leave. Inuzuka were loyal that way, and he could no more miss an appointment with Sakura than Akamaru could swear off meat for the rest of his life. So he did the only thing he really could do: send Akamaru out to do some scouting. All too eager to be reunited with Sakura, Akamaru instantly agreed and set out.

The dog walked maybe three or four feet, paused, and then began chasing his own tail.

Kiba frowned and watched this for a whole minute before he finally started over to figure out what was wrong.

Only, then HE began walking in circles, and soon both boy and dog had collapsed against each other, thoroughly dizzy, but otherwise unharmed. Kiba was not so dizzy that he missed the muffled laughter coming from the nearby bushes. He recognized the laugh at once, and shot to his feet, only to fall right back down on his butt.

This time there was no muffling the laughter, and Sakura tumbled out of the bushes, holding her sides, followed closely by (much to Kiba's annoyance) his older sister, Hana, who had an enormous grin on her face.

"Sakura-chan?" Kiba asked slowly, his voice full of confusion and hurt.

Sakura gulped down a few deep breaths before she started laughing all over again. She did, however, manage a few more steps before she practically fell across Kiba's lap, snickering loudly. "I'm sorry, Kiba-kun," she gasped as she sat up, trying not to smile and failing miserably, "but I needed to test this new genjutsu Kurenai-sensei taught me, so I thought..." She trailed off and slid her arms around him, muffling her giggles against Kiba's shoulder.

Kiba thought he should still be upset about this, but somehow Sakura being that close to him made it hard to stay mad, even with Hana grinning at him like she was. Anyway, it seemed perfectly natural to slowly wrap his arms around Sakura, and she gave no sign that she had a problem with it.

Once Sakura had gotten the laughter out of her system, she drew back slightly and searched Kiba's eyes. "You're not too mad at me, are you?" she asked softly.

In truth, Kiba had almost instantly forgotten why he was upset, and that he was even upset in the first place. All he knew was that he wanted to keep holding Sakura, and his brain told him there was one surefire way to do that. So he blinked, shook his head slightly, and said, "Huh?"

Sakura smiled brightly and tugged him closer again, resting her forehead against his. "It was nothing, Kiba-kun. Forget I said anything."

"Done," Kiba replied at once, getting a light punch to the shoulder for his smirk.

Hana chose that moment to cough quite loudly, and Sakura instantly leaped up to check on Akamaru. Kiba glared up at his sister as she casually walked over and ruffled his hair teasingly.

"Anyone can see you've got it bad, little bro," Hana sighed, shaking her head. "Honestly, I thought you'd have more sense than that."

"There's nothing wrong with Sakura-chan!" he snapped, jerking his head away from her.

Hana chuckled softly. "Never said there was. But you should've tried waiting before you let it become obvious. Now you'll have a hell of a time convincing Mom that it's not just a case of puppy love. She'll assume it's that, you two being so young. If you're really serious about Sakura, you need to start showing it. Get her something that shows you're serious: something she can show off to her friends."

"You mean get her something that shows everyone she's mine," Kiba translated with a frown. "She might not like that..."

"She will if you go about it the right way," Hana insisted. "If you ask me nice, I might even help you out."

That only made Kiba hesitate a little longer. Hana was a real pain most of the time, always pinching his cheeks or calling him "baby brother" in public. On the other hand, whenever he or Akamaru got hurt, she wouldn't let anyone else treat them, and the few times Kiba had felt the need to ask for her help, she hadn't made him beg too much. She wasn't a bad big sister, just an annoyingly typical one. Hana also genuinely liked Sakura, so it wasn't as if she'd drive the girl away on purpose. In the end, all it really took to make up Kiba's mind was the sight of Akamaru wagging his tail excitedly as Sakura cuddled him in her lap.

* * *

Gaara was currently in what he was tempted to call a good mood. He had always enjoyed being outside, under the full moon. More than likely it had something to do with Shukaku, but so long as the demon remained asleep, he didn't mind it at all.

He had always liked the Uchiha compound, possibly because it had been coated in blood the first time he'd seen it. Walking up and down the deserted streets at night, listening to the rustling of the trees, and feeling the cool night breeze on his face never failed to calm Gaara. But then, his family hadn't been murdered there, so he could understand why Sasuke never felt like joining him for these walks.

The team was progressing faster than he'd expected, or at least part of it was. He had honestly expected Hinata to struggle more than she had, but this had largely not been the case. In particular, she seemed to pick up anything Sasuke showed her within mere minutes, sometimes ending up more skilled at it than him, if greater chakra control was required. Sasuke had no explanation for this, since he hated teaching (among many other things).

Gaara had his own suspicions, after extensively studying the scrolls from their respective clans side by side. He could tell them, but suspected that the best results would be achieved unconsciously. And sure enough, at the end of the first day of training, Hinata complained of her eyes itching to the point where it was difficult to access or maintain the Byakugan. Gaara had merely nodded, excused them, and advised Hinata not to irritate her eyes in any way. By the next day, she had been ready to go again, and the itching, if still present, wasn't bad enough for her to complain about.

Sasuke was actually forcing himself to catch up, since he had the least amount of experience with his dojutsu. He could use all of Gaara's earth-based jutsu to some extent, though mastery of more than a few remained just out of his reach. Also, he was slightly slower than Hinata, though since Hyuuga techniques demanded that the user be faster than their opponent, this was not really surprising. Still, Sasuke was stronger physically, had greater chakra reserves, and better developed ninjutsu (Hinata had had almost none to speak of when they'd started out).

It had quickly become obvious that Hinata was primarily a close range fighter, thanks to extensive training in Gentle Fist taijutsu. Sasuke was a better ranged fighter, although when moving fast enough, nearly any of his fire-based jutsu could prove lethal at close range. It was strange, then, that Sasuke suddenly showed an interest in swords, and that Hinata seemed fairly curious about them herself. Neither had any proper training in the area, and Kakashi had admitted to being a bit rusty when he'd shown Gaara the basics of handling a sword. Anko owned a few, though she never used them, preferring smaller weapons that could be thrown and easily concealed (and it was surprisingly difficult to conceal anything when you were wearing almost nothing, as was Anko's habit).

At any rate, it would probably do them all some good if Gaara could locate a qualified kenjutsu instructor soon. So far, he only knew of people like Anko, who could handle any sort of weapon if they had to, but didn't really specialize in one in particular. It might be far more effective to simply attack an on duty ANBU and test their own skills with a sword, though the Hokage would probably frown on that, and the Hyuuga would just love any excuse to claim that Hinata wasn't safe with him. The fact that they hadn't done anything yet indicated that they were preparing for something big, and Gaara had promised himself that he would be ready… even if being ready meant introducing the Hyuuga to Shukaku.

**End of Chapter 12.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Dojutsu: pupil (eye) techniques, such as one that requires the Sharingan

Kenjutsu: sword techniques (not to be confused with kinjutsu, or forbidden techniques)

Sakura's jutsu:

**Kuramu Jumon (Dizzy Spell):**

The target is overcome by dizziness after a certain number of steps, and either collapses or blacks out completely, depending on the amount of chakra used. Especially effective on those who depend heavily on their senses.

I am, of course, making up most of the details about Shisui.


	13. Cursed Harmony

Notes: Very little Naruto coverage this chapter, but I like to think that's a testament to how much else is going on, and not all of it is focused on Gaara. Several new characters pop up, for one thing.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 13: Cursed Harmony**

* * *

Hyuuga Hiashi was currently a man with a great deal on his mind.

After Hinata's "mysterious disappearance," the clan council had been in an uproar (quite a feat, considering most of them were, at least, well into their eighties). Surprisingly, not one of them had even considered that Hinata might be residing at the Uchiha compound, or that she might have left under her own power. Hiashi had managed to calm their fears enough to call off a potential manhunt: he'd explained, rather calmly, that not only was he certain that Hinata was still in the village, but that she was simply rebelling as a way of venting her frustration at her lack of progress. Hiashi wove a tale of struggle and heartbreak on Hinata's part, not believing a word of it.

Amazingly, the council bought it. Hiashi was so relieved that he was completely blindsided when the council moved to strip Hinata of her title as heiress for a suitable punishment, and to go about finding a worthy replacement. He had expected this, certainly, but he had also expected them to simply hand the title to Hanabi, who, while not the obvious choice, was still his daughter and a member of the Main House in good standing.

The council was not of the same mind, naturally. Instead, they proposed a tournament of sorts, in order to witness the talents of the next generation of Hyuuga, and judge which one was worthy of becoming the clan heir. Hiashi agreed, and instantly put forth Hanabi's name for consideration.

The tournament's participants were to be exclusively children of the Main House. There had never been any question of that, so it came as quite a shock when Hiashi discovered that Neji had somehow earned a place in the competition, and he was the only Branch House member to do so. It didn't take long for Hiashi to figure this out, though: Neji had approached the clan council, and told them what Hiashi himself hadn't: where Hinata was, and who she was with, and that she had no intention of returning. His reward was a spot in the tournament, but this was only a chance to display his skills. Hiashi estimated that Neji would definitely reach the final round, but even if he won, the council would never acknowledge him as the heir. At best, they might choose a girl from the Main House and have Neji marry her. Even then, his status would remain unchanged, while ironically, any child of his would be born into the Main House. It didn't seem fair, and it wasn't, but that was rarely a concern of Hyuuga policy.

Hiashi had to admit that he was concerned about Hanabi's chances. She showed no real progress with her Byakugan, and while she knew enough of the basic Gentle Fist stances and attack patterns to defeat Hinata, this only meant she was slightly below average. In addition, Hanabi didn't seem to be taking Hinata's leaving very well. She was spending more and more time locked away in her room, and had taken to wearing a dark blue strip of cloth around her forehead... almost as if she had already received the Branch House seal.

He had tried talking to Hanabi several times, but she never really seemed to grasp what he was trying to tell her. He was beginning to regret not doing more to bring Hinata home. If the notion struck him, he could assemble a small force of able Hyuuga in just minutes, but he wasn't willing to sacrifice good fighters in an ambush when Hinata was still within the village. Perhaps Hanabi could still be salvaged and make a halfway decent heiress, but it would take considerable effort on his part, and it would be up to him alone. Few others thought Hanabi worthy of the title, but Hiashi was determined to see one of his daughters lead the clan.

Still, the choice would've been a lot easier, if he hadn't had to choose between a rebel outside of the clan, and a disgrace within it.

* * *

_5 Years, 11 Months in Konoha - October_

"You want swords? What for? You're not ready for swords!" Anko snorted loudly as she used a kunai to make dirty doodles in the ground.

Hinata lowered her head in disappointment, Sasuke glared at the woman, and Gaara simply stared at her, in that way that implied he hadn't heard a word his adoptive mother had said... or, at least, he didn't care what she'd said.

"Then get us ready," Gaara stated, clearly challenging her.

Anko scowled at him. "Why should I?"

"If you don't, we'll only do it ourselves. We'll probably get it wrong, and end up getting killed in our first swordfight." Gaara paused to let that sink in. "That would be your fault."

"Would not! I'm the one telling you not to do it!"

"But Sasuke and I already have swords. We're almost obligated to learn to use them. Otherwise, there's little point to having them. In my case, I went to some trouble to get it. In Sasuke's, they're heirlooms, and almost certainly meant to be wielded by him. Are you saying you want to be haunted by the ghosts of his family for denying him this chance?"

Anko rolled her eyes. "And why the hell would I be scared of ghosts, after the things I've seen?"

"You can't kill them."

She shook her head. "Everything can be killed, even things that are already dead. Just takes more work is all."

Sasuke and Hinata traded doubtful looks at that, but both decided to let Gaara handle this. Anko was almost always difficult, but Gaara seemed to know how to deal with her.

But unknown to everyone else, Gaara had set up a timetable for his team, and remaining on schedule demanded that Anko help them today. He didn't have time for setbacks, so it was time to play dirty.

"Itachi has a sword."

Sasuke stiffened, his black eyes flashing red for an instant.

"Yeah. And?" Anko muttered.

"We will cross paths with him one day. Would you have us be unprepared?"

Anko shook her head again. "I could train you three for the rest of my life, and you still wouldn't be able to match Itachi... in swords or any other area."

"It will give us a good start," Gaara insisted. He tilted his head slightly. "Say yes, okaa-san."

Anko winced as if he'd struck her. "You're playing dirty, Gaara," she said accusingly, though her voice had softened a bit.

"I learned it from you," he countered at once.

"Yeah, but I never thought you'd use it against me!"

"That seems more a lack of foresight on your part. Will you teach us or not?"

"Yeah, alright, but it won't be easy!" Anko growled. "I still say you guys aren't ready, so you're going to learn the same way I did!"

"Is that a bad thing?" Hinata asked slowly.

"Depends," Anko answered. "Orochimaru didn't think I was ready, either, so he made it difficult and painful for me."

"But you did learn," Sasuke added after a brief, tense silence.

She smirked. "Yeah, I learned. Had to, or being poisoned so often would've killed me in the long run."

Hinata's eyes widened. "What does being poisoned have to do with learning to wield a sword?"

"Normally, nothing," Anko replied, biting her left thumb and wiping the blood on her right wrist. "But this is one of the best ways to learn how to treat your sword once you get it, so pay close attention."

While she was still talking, the blood on her wrist seemed to fade, even as three large snakes poked their heads out of the sleeve of her coat. All three snakes were a brilliant red, with thin white stripes circling their bodies.

"You did hear us say we wanted to learn to handle swords, Anko-san?" Hinata murmured nervously. "Not snakes?"

Anko chuckled. "Yeah, I heard you. Thing is, the two are very similar. You have to respect your sword to get the most use out of it. Treat it like a trusted friend if you want it to do what you need. In this case, you treat the snake carefully, not only because it can bite you, but also because they're very easily offended. You do or say the wrong thing, you could end up with every snake you come across hating you on sight. They're touchy that way."

"So we have to tame the snakes?" Sasuke asked, eyeing the three snakes warily.

"Oh, they're already tame. Sort of. A better way of saying it is that they CAN be tame. But right now they're alert, since they don't know you guys. Good place for us to start." With that, Anko wiggled her arm a bit, coaxing the snakes out of her sleeve and onto the ground. "Let's see... this one's Kikyou, this one's Kaede, and this one's Kagome."

"How do you tell them apart?" Hinata asked at once.

"Kinda have to feel it out," Anko admitted with a grin. "Kikyou, she's the bitch." She reached out and stroked the aforementioned snake fondly. "My favorite, to tell you the truth. Kaede is the calm one, and Kagome is, uh, moody. Hinata, you better take Kaede. Sasuke, since you have two swords, you get the other two."

"Um... when you say take..." Hinata murmured nervously.

Anko rolled her eyes. "I mean pick her up. Slowly, though, and if she gives any sign that it might not be a good idea, step back. You should be fine. Kaede isn't the picky type, which is odd for a snake."

Hinata didn't look anywhere near as confident as she knelt down in front of Kaede and stretched out her hand. She couldn't seem to convince herself to move her hand the last few inches, though.

Kaede stared at Hinata's hand for a few seconds before slithering forward and curling her body around the girl's wrist.

"Don't worry, that means she likes you," Anko announced before Hinata could ask. "You're up, Sasuke!"

Sasuke could already see that his turn wouldn't be as easy. Kikyou and Kagome were hissing at each other threateningly, and they only grew more agitated when he crept closer. Feeling he was being cheated, Sasuke turned on Anko. "What's wrong with them?" he demanded.

"Oh, almost forgot!" Anko laughed. "They hate each other. Kaede keeps them calm, most of the time. The idea is to convince them to work together. They can do it, they just really don't like to."

Muttering curses under his breath, Sasuke turned back to the two snakes. Kagome had curled up and appeared to be sulking, but Kikyou was staring at him in a way that made his skin crawl. So Sasuke did what any Uchiha would do when they were threatened: activated his Sharingan. There didn't seem to be any visible change in Kikyou, and he was about to consider his attempt a failure when he noticed something odd. Kikyou's tail was twitching in a slow rhythm that seemed very familiar. It took him a few more seconds to realize that her tail had synched with his own heartbeat. Inspired by this development, he shifted slightly to the left, and sure enough, Kikyou mimicked his movement.

"Stupid Sharingan," he heard Anko mutter. "All it does is copy and cheat! Nothing but a shortcut in everything!"

"That may be, but it's my shortcut," Sasuke replied, smirking as Kikyou obediently curled around his left arm.

"I guarantee you Kagome won't be as easy, especially now that you've got Kikyou."

Sasuke was just about to tell Anko that she was wrong, but he noticed that she was very much right: Kagome was quickly moving away from him, heading back towards Anko. He quickly cut her off, but Kagome only turned again, this time heading for Hinata and Kaede.

"She must really not like Kikyou," Hinata noted. "I think you hurt Kagome's feelings by picking her rival first, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke nearly told her that it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard, but Kikyou coiled a little tighter on his arm, and somehow, Sasuke knew she was indicating that Hinata was right. He was not about to apologize to an overly sensitive snake, though. "Why can't Gaara take her?" he muttered.

"I've got a special snake for Gaara," Anko assured him. "But we'll get to that after you get through this."

Cursing under his breath, Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to figure out how he was supposed to win Kagome over. He had never been good with overly emotional girls; frankly, he was even starting to wonder if maybe dealing with Sakura would've prepared him for this challenge.

"Use Kagome's emotions against her. Make her feel lonely."

Sasuke jumped slightly, not recognizing the voice that had spoken. It had sounded rather close, as if the speaker were right in front of him, but it hadn't been Hinata, Anko, or Gaara.

"You should not be so surprised, Sasuke-sama," the voice added, and this time Sasuke saw that Kikyou was staring directly at him as her forked tongue flicked in and out. "Were you not aware that many summoned creatures were capable of human speech?"

He blinked, and decided he could get more details on that later. "Okay. What makes you think your plan will work on Kagome?"

"She is my sister, as is Kaede. Trust me, the best way to manipulate Kagome is to target her feelings. She is foolish, but powerful."

Since he had no better ideas, Sasuke decided to take Kikyou's advice. He made a show of talking loudly to Kikyou as he walked away, as if he were leaving. He hadn't gotten far when he felt Kagome wrapping around his ankle.

"Took you long enough," Kikyou snorted.

Kagome's reply, if Sasuke understood it right, was a twenty word stream of cursing that implied, among other things, that Kikyou had once been the key ingredient in the excrement of several large mammals. Sasuke was thoroughly impressed.

"Alright, your turn," Anko announced, turning to Gaara. "But I want to make it clear that NOBODY here tells anyone else what I'm about to show you. Got it?" She glared at each of them for a moment before pulling a scroll out of her coat.

"You should take a few steps back, Sasuke-sama," Kikyou advised. "The creature sealed inside that scroll could make your existence... unpleasant."

Sasuke quickly did as she told him, since Anko was already smearing blood on the scroll and didn't appear to share Kikyou's concerns (or she just didn't care to warn Sasuke). He made a mental note to ask Anko if she might be willing to part with Kikyou, or at least loan her to him for a while. It was difficult for him to accept help from anyone, but somehow he didn't mind listening to Kikyou, and he could definitely use a second opinion on certain things. He couldn't talk to Hinata about everything, and Gaara was always a little too blunt.

As Sasuke watched, what seemed to be an ink stain appeared on the scroll, rapidly spreading until it ran off the edge. But instead of dropping the to ground, the black liquid twisted and turned in the air, forming a serpentine body, a large head with what appeared to be wings, and enormous, glowing red eyes. The summoned creature swam through the air, winding its body around Anko a few times before swiftly making its way towards Gaara.

"This," Anko explained quietly, "is a shikigami. As you may have guessed, I'm not technically supposed to have it. I consider it part of my severance package from Orochimaru."

"What does it do?" Hinata asked as the shikigami began to circle Gaara with a hungry look in its eyes.

"This one stores and eats only dead souls, which is why it's so interested in Gaara. But it can't actually get at them, since they're bound to his living soul."

Sasuke suddenly understood, with growing alarm, that Kikyou had warned him about the shikigami because there was a dead soul around HIM that he didn't necessarily want to be eaten. The dream about Shisui didn't seem like much of a dream anymore.

"What do you expect me to do with this?" Gaara asked calmly, watching the shikigami circle him.

"Grab it, same as the others," Anko replied with a grin. "But there's a trick to it. You'll see."

Gaara was not at all surprised when his hand went straight through the shikigami. It felt very cold inside the creature's body, but there was nothing solid to hang onto. He was just about to try again when there was a peculiar tingling in his hand.

"Try it again, my son," he heard his mother's voice whisper, and there was a certain reassuring weight to his hand as he reached for the shikigami. This time, he felt it's cool, smooth body sliding beneath his fingertips, and closed his hand around the tail with ease.

"Good job! That's lesson one: holding your sword. Lesson two is moving it. You move your snake too hard or too fast, they won't like it. Same with a sword. Hinata, you're up first."

Gaara tuned Anko out as he stared at the shikigami in his hand. It was staring back at him, but now seemed more curious than hungry. There was something in its red eyes that bothered him, but he wasn't sure what it was. He only knew that this creature had some place it belonged, and it needed to go back there eventually.

* * *

Iruka had seen his parents die in his mind's eye thousands of times. He remembered the details of that moment with startling clarity, and it would most likely stay with him for the rest of his life. He has feared, for a long time now, that it might be used against him one day. He just didn't know how bad it would feel.

For the most part, the scene plays out exactly as he recalls it this time. His parents, no, their corpses, are burning, and nothing Iruka does will put out the flames. He screams in anguish as his small hands beat uselessly at the flames, totally ignorant of the fact that they are steadily creeping up his arms. There are adults nearby, fully capable of aiding him, but most are too busy trying to fight the demon, or helping the wounded off of the battle friend, and the rest are simply frozen in shock and/or fear. Whatever the reason, no one comes forward to help him, and it is at this moment that Iruka, still just a boy, slowly comes to realize that it will be this way for the rest of his life. He will have no one but himself to depend on.

Then (and this is the part he definitely does not recall) he hears laughter, and smells a stench unlike anything his nose has ever encountered before. Something hot and wet splashes onto his forehead, immediately burning every bit of skin that it touches. Iruka dares to look up, and he sees the dreaded face of the Kyuubi hovering mere inches from his own. The fox is grinning, his enormous teeth stained red, and the foul mixture of human blood and his saliva is slowly dripping onto Iruka.

He cannot move as the fox laughs cruelly at him. He can only watch as the demon dips its head down, snaps up the burning corpses that are his parents, and eats them. They are easily small enough for him to swallow whole, but that would be far too merciful. The Kyuubi chews slowly with his mouth wide open, allowing Iruka to see his parents being crushed and torn to bits. This goes on for several minutes, and just when the fox's teeth cannot possibly do any more damage to the remains, he decides against swallowing them, and spits them out onto Iruka's small, stunned form.

Incredibly, the Kyuubi does not kill Iruka. He realizes that it is far more cruel to let the boy live, alone, and forever haunted by this nightmare made real. And so the fox merely turns and walks away, careful to make sure his tails don't accidentally kill Iruka with an errant swipe.

Iruka knows that last part is a lie, as surely as he knows that that Uzumaki Naruto is not the Kyuubi. He knows that this nightmare is originating from the overwhelming pain in his neck. He knows that Orochimaru is gradually poisoning his mind and body.

He knows all of this, and yet rage still explodes in his brain, blanketing his vision in crimson mist. Iruka's first priority is that he must kill the demon and avenge his parents. It does not matter if the Kyuubi is hiding behind another boy. If the boy must die so that the demon will die, then so be it. That is all that matters... for the moment.

A haunting melody pierces through the mist, and everything else fades from Iruka's mind. He moves forward, driven by the overriding urge to find the source of the music. His heart is pounding in his chest, and adrenaline races through his body in a desperate attempt to get him closer to the sound as quickly as possible.

He emerges from the red mist, only to find himself in the midst of another slaughter. This time it is the work of two demons, less powerful and much smaller than the Kyuubi, but still easily over ten feet tall each, and strong enough to tear through steel like it was paper. Iruka does not recognize the people they are killing; in fact, he barely notices the demons at all.

His attention is focused entirely on the girl.

She is younger than he is now, and impossibly tiny. Her red hair is plastered to her face, and streaked with mud. He cannot see her eyes; she keeps them shut tightly as she plays her flute, and Iruka understands why instantly. The demons are doing her bidding, and she does not need her eyes to see the destruction done in her name. She can sense every blow, every life lost to her minions, and with each passing moment, she plays faster and faster, until it is impossible to tell where one scream ends and another begins, and soon, there are no more screams at all.

The girl lowers her flute and opens her eyes. There is a glazed look to them, as if she is not fully awake yet. She is panting slightly, exhausted from the effort of controlling such powerful creatures with her song.

The demons, which were once moving swiftly, and with deadly speed, now become sluggish. They lumber over to her, and one of them scoops up and the girl and places her on its shoulder. The other pauses, tilts its head as if hoping to catch a fading echo of the girl's song, and suddenly reaches out and grabs Iruka.

It does not occur to him to be afraid. The demon's fingers are thick, cold, and wet with blood, and he knows that they could crush him with no trouble at all. But the demon only tightens its grip on him slightly, and then they are moving away, the four of them.

The girl says nothing, barely even looks at him, really. But Iruka doesn't need her to do anything. He wants to help her. He wants to make it so that she never has to suffer as he did. This is a noble cause, one he is willing to dedicate his life to. He will become strong, stronger than her demons, and he will do whatever she asks of him, if only because she is just a tiny little thing, and she needs protection. He has not forgotten about his parents: they would want him to help the girl. One day, this path will lead him to the Kyuubi, and when it does, he will be ready.

* * *

_Unknown Location - October_

Nii Yugito was no stranger to death.

She had died a total of fourteen times.

The first time had been shortly after her third birthday, when an unidentified Cloud-nin decided that destroying her with a lightning storm was worth the price of wiping out her entire clan.

The most recent time had occurred at the hands of the Yondaime Raikage, when he'd tried to persuade her not to leave the village. She had told him quite plainly that not even death would stop her, and apparently, he hadn't quite believed her.

Yugito was not immortal: far from it, in fact. She simply could not stay dead, not while the Nibi no Nekomata lived within her.

Currently, the two-tailed demon cat was the only ally she had.

Currently, two members of Akatsuki were her only enemies, but they were more than enough.

Yugito woke up to find herself slung across the shoulder of the one that called himself Hidan. He claimed to be immortal, and certainly had some rather convincing evidence to back that up.

Yugito had met so-called immortals before, and she had even killed her fair share of them. Hidan was no doubt a special case, but ultimately, his fate would be no different from theirs.

Hidan did not notice that she had regained consciousness. Yugito had spent a great deal of time being dead; she was very convincing when it came to fooling people into thinking she was dead or otherwise incapacitated (partially because half of the time, she wasn't acting). If Hidan had bothered to check her, he would have found no pulse, no chakra, no warmth to her skin, nor any other sign of life.

Fortunately, Hidan was arguing with his partner, Kakuzu (again), and neither paid her much attention.

Yugito reached deep within herself, and summoned the power of her demon with ease. Admittedly, the cat had rarely ever saved her life, but that was of little consequence, since her power was firmly stooped in death. Returning to the world of the living was more painful each additional time, but they both agreed that it was a relatively low price, in order to survive until they had reached their respective goals.

No chakra was molded as black, ancient runes rapidly spread across Yugito's palm. Kakuzu did not see her eyes turn completely black, as he was running slightly ahead of Hidan.

Killing instantly was a tricky business, especially for one such as Yugito. The easiest way was to seal a tiny portion of the demon cat's soul into a person. That killed most people with startling ease. The Nibi didn't mind the loss; she had an exceptionally large soul, even for a greater demon, and anyway, the lost portions were always returned to her whenever she renewed Yugito's life. But because Hidan had proven to be extremely resilient, they both agreed that perhaps two portions of the cat's soul would be better in this case. No one person had ever required that much, and if Hidan did, he had definitely chosen the right profession, and he had Yugito's grudging respect if nothing else.

A mere touch was all it took. Yugito, once again, found that incredibly ironic, considering the beating she took just trying to escape the determined pair, never mind trying to mount some kind of defense against them.

Hidan had been walking in one instant, and was suddenly face first on the ground in the next, nearly crushing Yugito under his weight. There was no time to celebrate, however, because the moment Yugito rose shakily to her feet on her recently broken legs, Kakuzu was towering over her.

"It would seem," he said coldly, "that we were somewhat... misinformed about the scope of your death powers."

Yugito said nothing. The one good thing about Hidan was that he had at least been carrying her. Now that she had to stand under her own power, she wanted nothing more than to sit down and take a very long catnap (she'd had a feline in her head for far too long), giving her body a chance to, if not heal, then at least recover some of its strength. The cat strongly detested accelerated healing. She claimed the rush job not only used up more energy, but more often that not put the body back together incorrectly, something which could come back to haunt the user years down the road. No, she insisted on taking her time when it came to licking their wounds, which almost always meant Yugito had to wait until they were out of a battle (which may have had something to do with the fourteen deaths, though the Nibi firmly denied this).

Unfortunately, Kakuzu was not stupid. The way Yugito saw it, he would either knock her out, and do something more permanent to keep her that way, or he would give up and flee with Hidan's body. The second possibility was highly unlikely, but the Nibi wouldn't let Yugito dismiss it entirely. Hidan had no doubt told his partner that he was immortal (he'd talked during the entire fight, much to her annoyance), and with any luck, Kakuzu would be so shocked by seeing Hidan get killed by a mere girl that he'd back off. Perhaps Akatsuki could deal with one loss in their ranks, but she doubted they'd be prepared or willing to accept two at once. And Kakuzu hadn't seemed overly fond of Hidan's mouth either, so maybe she could still come out of this mostly alive.

They stood there for nearly ten minutes, with no sound other than Yugito's panting as she forced herself to remain upright, largely through sheer strength of will.

Finally, Kakuzu made his choice.

He stepped forward threateningly... and bent down, hauling Hidan's body onto his shoulder with one hand. The ease with which he did so made Yugito wince and take a step backwards.

"I suggest you get your affairs in order. The next time we meet, you will die, and you won't be coming back." That was all he said before walking away.

Realizing she had been spared, Yugito did the first thing that came to her. She sank to the ground, buried her face in her hands, and sobbed until she lacked even the strength to do that.

Nii Yugito had lost everything that ever belonged to her. She had abandoned her village, and now traveled the world in search of just eight special people. Six were dead, one by her own hand. Most of that number had fallen to Akatsuki, whose very members were often more monstrous than any demon container Yugito had come across. There were only two others of her kind left: Shukaku and the Kyuubi. Rumors of those two had reached her even in her former village, and while it wasn't a good idea to put all her hopes on them, she really had no other choice. If the three of them did not band together, the next time that Akatsuki rose up, there would be no hope for anyone in their path.

"Come on, Yugito," purred a soft, silky voice in the back of her mind. "You know we can't stay here. It isn't safe."

"I'm so tired, Neko-chan," Yugito groaned, her eyelids drooping as sleep threatened to take her. "Please, just let me rest for a little bit..."

"I'm sorry, but you really can't. How long do you think it would take someone from Akatsuki to pick up your trail? And what if they send someone different next time? Someone who isn't far from us right now?"

Yugito paled. She hadn't thought of that. Kakuzu and his accursed masks had been difficult enough. She didn't even want to think of what horrors she might experience if they sent Itachi and Kisame after her.

"I know you're tired, dear. And I know you're not afraid of dying. But you know you can't afford to be tired or dead, not with them. I promise you'll be able to rest the next time we stop. Okay?"

With a heavy, shuddering breath, Yugito very slowly forced herself to stand, leaning against a nearby tree. She really didn't want to listen, but every time she thought about disobeying the Nibi, she would remember the cute black kitten that played with her when no child would, the black lioness that slept faithfully beside her on most nights, and the coal black puma that had carried her to safety as her family died all around her. Through everything, the cat had been there for her, with her in some form, and she knew the Nibi was only trying to protect her again.

After a few minutes, the pain in her legs had faded to a dull throbbing. It wouldn't be comfortable to run on them, but it was possible.

"On second thought," the Nibi said slowly, "why don't you let me handle this part? I'll wake you when I need to."

Yugito smiled gratefully as she handed over control of her body. "Thank you, Neko-chan," she murmured, feeling the warm, ghostly brush of fur against her cheek as she retreated into her mind to sleep.

"Sleep well, Yugito," the cat sighed, carefully forming twin chakra shields around the girl's legs to protect them from further damage. Then, with a deep breath, she sprang into the trees, determined to reach a village before she stopped for the night.

* * *

"Remind me never to go one on one with Shino again," Sakura groaned, wincing as Kiba carefully wrapped a large bandage over a deep cut in her leg. She didn't really mean the words, but it seemed like the type of thing to say at the moment. Shino was necessary in terms of a sparring partner: his attacks were unique enough that Sakura needed to learn how to defend against them, and he would not unconsciously hold back the way Kiba did against her.

Kiba smirked as he gave her knee a light pat before sitting down beside her on the grass. "I did warn you that he'd be tough. Why'd you challenge him, anyway?"

Sakura shrugged, grinning as Akamaru pushed his head under her fingers in an obvious attempt to get her to scratch behind his ears. "I wanted to see how I measured up. Now I know. And at least I'm definitely over my fear of bugs. A few months ago, I wouldn't have been able to do anything but scream and run away."

"Yeah, but he didn't even try to go easy on you. He was just as rough as if he'd been fighting me," Kiba grumbled, a sour look on his face.

Sakura quickly suppressed the urge to giggle. Kiba didn't like being laughed at, especially not when he had that overprotective glint in his eyes. It was endearing, really, and it reminded her that she was lucky to have such a devoted friend. "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe he's going easy on both of us?"

"No way," Kiba replied stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I'm not saying that out of pride. I mean, it's Shino! Why would he even bother?"

It was a valid point. Shino was their teammate, and beyond that a regular acquaintance, but to call him a friend wouldn't have been accurate. Sakura was pretty sure the only friends he had were his bugs, and only then because they lived inside him and did whatever he told them to. She respected that he was being tough on her and Kiba in order to make them strong, but she also wished it didn't hurt as much.

"Well, I'm not sorry. No one's going to go easy on me in a real fight," Sakura pointed out. "I needed the experience."

For a moment, Kiba flinched as if he were in pain, but it was gone before she could really get a good look. Then he was nervously rubbing the back of his neck and staring at his feet. "Sakura-chan," he said quietly, "I need to tell you something."

Sensing this was serious, Sakura gave him her full attention. "What is it, Kiba-kun?" She nearly gasped when he raised his head, revealing the completely vulnerable expression on his face. Kiba had never looked like that before, and he had certainly never looked at her like that.

"I need to give you something now, before it's too late."

Before she could ask, Akamaru had crawled into her lap, his tail thumping lightly against her hip.

"I want to give you Akamaru," Kiba said.

The implications of that simple statement were enormous. Akamaru was more than just a dog: he was Kiba's best friend, brother, heart, and combat partner all rolled into one. Without him, Kiba would only ever be at half strength. The very idea that he would willingly give Akamaru to anyone at this point was insane. He would very likely die as a genin at this rate, possibly even in the next few months. The only two ways to ensure that he lived were to either accept the gift and never leave his side, or to simply turn him down. And Sakura had a feeling that the latter would hurt him more than the former.

This was far beyond a mere crush. Kiba was placing his life in her lap, and in that moment, Sakura realized just how silly her fixation on Sasuke had been, especially when compared to this. Sasuke had never given her a single kind word, and here was Kiba, fully prepared to become a dead man walking if she willed it.

This... this was true love.

"I can only accept him if you make it a two for one deal, Kiba-kun," Sakura replied after a long moment. "It's both of you, or neither of you. And if you ever scare me like that again-"

"If you were scared," he interrupted, "it's because you love me, too."

Sakura stared at him, unable to say anything in the face of the intense look in his eyes. He was right on some level, and she had basically just agreed to be his girlfriend, but actually using the l-word was still a very difficult thing for her. Funny how she had tossed it around so much with Sasuke, but now, when it actually had meaning behind it, she was a complete coward.

"It's about time," said a voice above them, and both jumped to their feet when Shino appeared in the branches of a nearby tree.

"Shino!" Kiba barked angrily. "How long have you been there?"

"I never left," Shino replied calmly. "As I was saying, it's about time. I thought I was going to have to put a sign on one or both of you."

Sakura turned bright red. "You knew?"

Shino sighed. "How could I not? It's all your noisy blond friend ever talks about."

For a startling moment, Sakura thought he meant Naruto. Then she realized he meant Ino, and a part of her was strangely sad that she'd only started thinking of Naruto as a friend after he'd gone away.

"SOME privacy would be nice around here!" Kiba snapped.

Shino merely shrugged. "Being a good ninja is all about illusion. I gave you the illusion of privacy, and it was real for you. Kurenai-sensei would be proud."

"I would, and am," Kurenai chuckled as she stepped from behind the same tree Shino was sitting in.

"DAMN IT!" Kiba howled, his face an angry red. "HAVEN'T YOU PEOPLE EVER HEARD OF PERSONAL SPACE?!"

"So let's give them something to spy on," Sakura suggested happily, and before Kiba could make sense of that, she tugged his face down to hers and kissed him.

"I believe you owe me some money, Shino," Kurenai said quietly, her red eyes dancing with glee.

Shino frowned as he jumped out of the tree and forked over the money. He'd been sure that Kiba would kiss Sakura first...

* * *

_Border of the Wind Country - October_

Every time Kin thinks she has Naruto figured out, he manages to surprise her all over again.

At the moment, Naruto is sleeping, his face frozen in an uncomfortable scowl. His clothes and skin are smoking in the cool desert night, but they do not burn. It has been this way since he fell asleep nearly an hour ago, and not for the first time, Kin wonders if he even can burn himself out. Certainly there are times when he claims to be tired, but now she wonders if they are just that: claims, and nothing more.

Every month or so, Naruto is sent to the border of the Wind Country. Usually Temari accompanies him, but the last time, Kabuto had gone, and for some reason, the medic-nin suggested that Kin be the one this time. She had no idea why, at least, not until she saw just what Naruto had come here to do.

It only takes a minute to perform, and that is just one of the more startling aspects of the jutsu. If Kin's hunch is right, it represents just a tiny portion of what Naruto is truly capable of, and that scares her. It isn't right for a boy to be cursed with that kind of power. And to wield it as well as Naruto does can only mean that he's had ample opportunity to practice.

Even after seeing it, Kin has little idea of how Naruto does it. She suspects that the key is in Naruto's memory, that he summons up some event in his past that angers him, and there are more than a few to choose from. After that, it is as if his chakra simply explodes from his body, devastating the surrounding area for at least several yards in all directions. When the smoke clears, there is only one thing left: Naruto, standing in a gigantic crater shaped like a fox's paw print.

It is a sign to all those who see it: the Kyuubi is alive and well, and this is his territory.

These trips demand that someone Naruto trusts go along. It is far too easy to lose himself, to forget that he is not the monster that he was treated as in Konoha. He needs constant reminders of how far he has come since then, and that there are now people who care about him.

Kin feels a little overwhelmed by the task, but it has been surprisingly easy: so far, the mere sight of her has been able to calm Naruto without her actually having to do anything. She has also noticed that while he sleeps, he is hot enough to double as a furnace, yet when she comes near him, Naruto almost instantly cools to where she can safely touch him. It worries her, that the demon has such power while Naruto sleeps, but she is far more puzzled as to why the Kyuubi would allow her to get so close. For now, it is enough that the fox does accept her, though she worries about how long that will last...

Naruto has proven to be intensely loyal, though, at least where Kin is concerned. Despite how dangerous he is, or even because of it, she feels safe with him. She is comforted by the fact that Naruto would do just about anything for her, even if it makes her feel a little guilty at times. Kin knows very well that love is a fleeting thing in most cases, but this is not like most cases. Even now, she hesitates to classify what she feels for Naruto as love, but there is no doubt in her mind that Naruto loves her, or at least he strongly believes that he does. She enjoys his constant attention and attempts to impress her, and it is only fair to reward him with hugs or kisses occasionally.

It is also technically her duty, but she tries not to think about that.

Kin understands that Naruto is a weapon, just like her, but on a far greater scale. He also has feelings, dreams, and doubts, just like her. The difference is that Naruto deserves better, after all he has suffered through just for the right to exist. There is still some childlike wonder in him even now, though it rarely slips out and is probably fading fast. It was nice, even sweet to see the way his eyes lit up whenever he looked at her, but even that will turn to open lust or barely-hidden desire when he is older. And Kin would not mind it so much, if only she were free to react on her own terms. But giving him too much or not enough isn't allowed, so Kin is very careful to keep him interested. She doesn't really believe that Naruto would focus on another girl now, but she cannot afford to be wrong.

Shivering as the cold night air sends chills down her spine, Kin moves a little closer to Naruto, sighing as his high body heat soothes her. He turns toward her in his sleep, and Kin just barely resists the urge to stroke his cheek. She is not in love with Naruto, but she is fond of him, and is reminded of this every day.

Unfortunately, Kin is so distracted by Naruto that she doesn't consider that the cool air is unnaturally damp, or that the sudden mist that rolls in might be a problem. And by the time she notices they are no longer alone, a tall figure has stepped out of the mist and wrapped a cool, blue hand around her throat.

"No need to wake the boy," he whispers, flashing her a grin full of razor-sharp teeth. "Let him sleep. I'm in no hurry."

Kin does not need to see the huge sword strapped to his back to know who he is. If she survives this encounter, she knows that Orochimaru will not be too upset with her. For how could a mere genin hope to stand up to Hoshigaki Kisame, the chakra-devouring shark shinobi of Akatsuki?

* * *

The problem, Tenten realized as she carefully reviewed the situation in which she had found herself, was that she just wasn't a very good actress.

She had spoken to Hinata only a handful of times, as Neji was careful to keep his team life separate from his clan life (something Tenten appreciated a great deal, since as bad as Neji was with her and Lee, he was even worse at home). They had always been polite enough, but Tenten had never really gotten the chance to know Hinata, beyond exchanging rushed greetings while Neji glowered impatiently at them. So it was more than a little awkward when Hinata suddenly appeared in her shop.

Despite being an orphan, Tenten had always considered herself extremely lucky. At the tender age of six, she had been walking down the street when an old drunk tripped over her and nearly broke his arm. Oddly enough, the old drunk had owned a small but very profitable weapon shop, and immediately put Tenten to work, since he claimed the accident had been her fault. Tenten hadn't minded: no one else would put up with him long enough to work there more than a week, so the profits only had to be split two ways. She could have easily taken more than her fair share during one of her boss's frequent hangovers, but there was little point: she was practically living with him already, and he needed her far more than she needed extra money. Anyway, working at the shop paid better than most missions available to genin, so Tenten easily had more money than most people her age, even if she usually just turned around and spent it on weapons.

She'd been hearing some pretty worrisome rumors about Hinata these past few months, and Tenten could see right away that some of them were true. The fact that Hinata was accompanied by Uchiha Sasuke, Sabaku no Gaara, and Hatake Anko only confirmed that they had become a team, hard as it was to believe. Tenten was a little jealous, since Anko was one of their best customers, and one of the few kunoichi that Tenten considered a personal idol.

Then there was the way that Hinata was holding hands with Sasuke. Any girl would be crazy not to want that, of course, but it was still a little startling to see Sasuke allow it. Tenten didn't really consider herself a fangirl, but if Sasuke had ever wanted to hold her hand, she would have skipped training that day just to keep it from getting dirty afterwards.

Everyone she knew was at least wary of Gaara, so Tenten made it a point not to stare too much. She couldn't help wondering how Hinata managed to keep up with him and Sasuke, though.

Thankfully, Anko was the only one who came straight to the counter to talk to her. Hinata and Sasuke were looking at the swords, and Gaara was sort of staring out of the window with a blank expression on his face.

"Hey, Ten-chan!" Anko greeted with her usual wicked grin as she leaned over the counter to plant a friendly kiss on Tenten's forehead. At least, Tenten always assumed they were meant to be friendly. Anko never seemed to grasp the concept of personal space, and the thought of an older, married woman kissing her for any other reason was a bit too complicated to think about. Still, it was an improvement, considering that Anko had once been quite open about fondling her buns (both sets) in public.

"Hello, Anko-sama," Tenten replied warmly, doing her best not to blush. "We just got in a whole case of brass knuckles, if you're interested."

Anko looked very tempted for a few seconds, but sighed and shook her head. "Nah, I shouldn't. I'm really here to get some swords for the lovebirds. Well, really just for Hinata, since Sasuke's got a pair, but she might want a matching set, too. Think you can help her out?"

From some reason, Anko found it necessary to lean in close and lightly stroke Tenten's arm with a finger as she spoke. Tenten was unfortunately used to things like that, but it was always more embarrassing when someone else might see it.

"I'll see what I can do," Tenten promised as she stepped out from behind the counter, though not in time to avoid a quick pinch on her bottom. She made a point not to look at Anko as she made her way over to Hinata, who was using her Byakugan to more carefully examine the swords. Sasuke was leaning against the wall at the end of the row, occasionally muttering to himself, or possibly to something on his wrist. Tenten tried to not think about it as she focused her attention on Hinata.

"See anything that interests you, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata blinked and deactivated her Byakugan at once, turning to Tenten with a surprised but delighted smile. "Tenten-sempai! I haven't seen you in so long! How are you?"

Tenten smiled back at her. "Fine, just fine. So I hear you're looking for a sword? We don't get too many Hyuuga looking for... well, anything, in this shop."

Hinata blinked slowly, as if she hadn't heard Tenten right. "Oh. Well, technically, you still haven't. I haven't really been a Hyuuga for almost two weeks now."

Tenten's eyes widened. "You and Sasuke got married already?"

"No, no!" Hinata laughed, shaking her head. "I was sort of disowned. Well, I suppose I disowned myself. I'm really just Hinata for the time being, but soon..." She paused, taking a moment to beam at Sasuke, who actually blushed slightly and looked away.

"You seem happy enough about it," Tenten observed.

Hinata shrugged. "The only person in my clan that I felt any real attachment to was Hanabi, and she's surprisingly self-sufficient, despite her age. She's a lot like Neji that way."

"Not too much like him, I hope," Tenten murmured, shuddering slightly.

Hinata laughed again. "No, not that much. But I'm sure she'll do fine, perhaps even better, without me around. To be honest, I've always believed her when she claimed to be smarter than me."

Tenten smirked. "She must be a genius, then. I know girls who would give their right arms to be with Uchiha Sasuke."

"Believe me, I've dealt with plenty of them," Hinata sighed, shaking her head. "Some of them are convinced that I stole him from them, despite the fact that I'm the only one who ever had any real claim on him. If I try to act nice about it, they see it as a sign of weakness, so I'm forced to be quite cold to most of them."

"You, cold?" Tenten asked skeptically. "I can't picture that."

"You'd be surprised. Between my... heritage, Sasuke-kun, Gaara-taichou, and Anko-sensei, I've learned quite a bit on the subject." To prove it, she released just enough killing intent to make Tenten pale slightly.

"So you are a team, then?" Tenten asked after clearing her throat.

"Anko-sensei has only agreed to teach us for a little while, but yes. That reminds me, how are things with your team?"

"The same, mostly," Tenten replied with a grin. "Guy-sensei and Lee-kun are still goofballs. Neji... he's been really quiet lately."

Hinata seemed surprised. "Really? That's not like him..."

"No, it isn't. He seems to always have something on his mind, but of course he won't talk to us about it. Usually I can get him to say a few things when it's just us, but he's clammed up pretty tight this time. I think something big is going on with the Hyuuga."

"It's probably my fault, at least indirectly," Hinata sighed. "I haven't spoken to him or Hanabi since the night I left. Technically, they'd both be obligated to report back to my father that they'd seen me."

"So I shouldn't mention to Neji that I saw you, right?" Tenten asked.

"I don't really think it would matter, since my father knows exactly where I've been staying. But on the off chance that you see Hanabi, you might tell her. She probably isn't worried about me, but just in case she is..."

"I'll make a point of seeing Neji home the next time we're done training," Tenten promised with a wink.

"I don't think he'll like that much," Hinata chuckled.

"Well, that's half the fun, isn't it? Now, let's see if we can't find you a sword or two!"

**End of Chapter 13.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Yup, Kiba/Sakura is the newest pairing. But the story summary is just under the limit as it is, so I probably won't add it. Probably.

I know, you're going to tell me that Yugito is too powerful. In my defense, I have a slight problem with introducing a character just so they can die, and leaving it at that. Tried it, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It's not because I like Yugito (she kinda DIED before I got a chance to know her), or because I'm secretly a cat person. I just wish there had been more focus on the different demon containers, so I wouldn't feel cheated when one died so shortly after she first popped up.

I said this wouldn't be a crossover, and I stand by that. No one is going to anyone else's universe by way of a freak accident. As for the snakes, that was done on purpose. Let's just pretend that Anko heard a legend while she was studying under Orochimaru, and maybe she liked it enough to name snakes after certain characters. And if those snakes should happen to behave like said characters, all the more reason for them to be called by the same names. That (and this) is my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Anko's jutsu:

**Kuchiyose: Shikon San Kyoudai (Summoning: Three Shikon Sisters):**

This jutsu summons three particular shinja (sacred snakes) to aid the summoner. (Kyoudai has several meanings: brothers and sisters, sisters, and siblings; so it's technically correct that Hana's three dogs are referred to by this as well.)

**Kuchiyose: Kuroi Shikigami (Summoning: Dark Shikigami):**

Summons a single black shikigami to do the summoner's bidding. Shikigami can take many forms, usually either inanimate objects brought to life by magic (especially paper), or a certain kind of demon used to collect souls.

Yugito's jutsu:

**Hadazawari no Shinigami (Touch of the Death God):**

By sacrificing a small portion of the Nibi's soul, Yugito can literally seal away a person's soul by touching them, leaving their body a lifeless shell. In many cases, she can also seal away the dead body, and summon it to do her bidding later, complete with any abilities the person had when they lived. To do this, though, she must have possession of both the soul and body.

Naruto's jutsu:

**Futon: Bakushin (Wind Release: Center of an Explosion):**

Naruto's wind chakra explodes outwards in all directions, destroying virtually anything in its path.

Kisame's jutsu:

**Kirigakure no Jutsu (Mist Hiding Technique):**

The user combines water with chakra to create mist, so that they can suddenly appear, as if out of nowhere.


	14. A Husband for Hanabi

Notes: First time I've really done a scene with Kisame, so we'll see how that comes off. Also a pairing that is really nothing of the sort.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 14: A Husband for Hanabi**

* * *

_Wind Country Border - October_

"So what are you going to do, kid?"

Naruto remained silent as he glared at the tall, BLUE man in the black and red cloak that had one arm locked around Kin's neck. He wasn't quite sure how the man had managed to sneak up on them, only that he'd woken up to this bothersome sight. Normally, that would've been enough to send him barreling at the man in a fit of rage. But there were some pretty big problems preventing that.

First and foremost, there was Kin. She didn't seem scared exactly, but something about the blank look on her face told Naruto that he needed to be careful. The man probably wasn't going to hurt her, unless Naruto did something he didn't like. But at this point, the man seemed to want a fight, so attacking him was probably the best thing to do.

But there was also the sword on the man's back to consider, or at least Naruto assumed it was a sword. The man was in no hurry to draw it, but there was no telling how fast he could do so, either. That pretty much guaranteed that Naruto had to keep his distance while fighting, once he got Kin out of the line of fire.

The man's face wasn't helping, either. He looked a great deal like a shark trapped in a human's body, or perhaps a shark demon in a human vessel. But while Naruto was sensing plenty of chakra from the man, it didn't really seem to be demonic, or at least not all of it was. And that unknown quality was even more reason to be cautious.

And perhaps the worst thing of all was that Kyuubi, for some reason, was not only staying quiet, but being surprisingly stingy with his chakra. Usually the fox would be all too eager to fight a strong opponent, so it was both weird and worrisome that he had clammed up all of a sudden.

But Naruto wasn't TOO worried. Meg had, for the most part, trained him as if they'd never heard of Kyuubi, so he still had plenty of options, but he was still somewhat limited without the huge amount of chakra that Kyuubi usually pumped out, so that was a big concern, or it would be, if this man was as strong as Naruto suspected.

"I'll assume that you're just trying to come up with a strategy," the shark man said, his long, pointy teeth flashing as he spoke, "and not chickening out and leaving the girl in my hands. But you should know that patience was never my strong point. And when I get bored, I tend to sharpen my sword on the nearest available object." He flexed his right arm a bit, causing Kin to wince slightly as it tightened around her neck.

"What do you want?" Naruto finally asked.

"A fight," the man responded at once.

"And if I refuse?"

The man snorted. "Then I kill her, and we fight, anyway. So you might as well just come at me."

"Let her go first!"

To Naruto's complete shock, the shark man shoved Kin away from him and stood there expectantly. Kin stumbled a little, but quickly caught herself and ran back to Naruto's side, keeping an eye on their opponent the whole time.

"Are you okay, Kin-chan?" Naruto asked without looking at her.

"Yeah, fine," she muttered, rubbing her neck. "I don't think you can beat him, Naruto-kun."

"Well, he never said anything about beating him. He just wants to fight, I think."

Kin stared at him incredulously. "And you believe him?"

Naruto shrugged. "He grabbed you to make me fight, and when I agreed, he let you go. I really think he just wants a good fight. I can appreciate that."

"You don't just fight somebody like Kisame because he wants to!" Kin hissed. "That's insane!"

"Then I'll fight him because he didn't hurt you." Naruto turned his head, shot her a big grin, and then ran forward, three Shadow Clones popping into existence on either side of him as he closed in on Kisame.

Kin briefly thought of stopping him, but figured he'd be at a big enough disadvantage without her getting in the way. Although if he didn't get himself killed trying to impress her yet again, she'd kill him herself.

The good news was that Kisame didn't make a move for his sword. The bad news was that he didn't seem to need it. Any clone that got within range was immediately destroyed by one of Kisame's fists. Within seconds, the only Naruto remaining was the real one, and he proceeded to do one of the most foolish things Kin had ever seen him do.

Naruto jumped into the air with his mouth wide open, apparently expecting to sink his teeth into Kisame's throat.

Kisame looked amused (never a good sign) right before he spun around and planted his elbow into Naruto's face. The added momentum had been completely unnecessary, but was probably all the more satisfying for the shark man as Naruto went sailing through the air, landing in a heap at Kin's feet.

"That was terrible," Kin sighed as Naruto slowly got up, spitting a few teeth and some blood onto the sand.

"Got him right where I want him!" Naruto replied, giving her another cocky grin.

"I'm amazed you got that out without whistling, considering all the new gaps in your teeth."

"I was just feeling him out!" Naruto insisted.

"With your face?"

Naruto scowled at her. "You know, if you don't start cheering for me pretty soon, I'm going to start thinking that maybe you don't want to be my girl anymore."

Kin turned bright red. She could never get used to Naruto calling her that. "I'm not THAT kind of girl. Just stop trying to bite him and see if that doesn't improve your chances."

"Don't I even get a kiss for luck?"

"Sure, AFTER you win."

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "It better be a wet one," was all he said before charging again.

"Jerk," Kin muttered, her cheeks burning.

"I never had anyone try to beat me by disgusting me before," Kisame chuckled as he batted Naruto aside half-heartedly. "Another minute of that mushy crap and I might've been nauseous."

"Tell HER that," Naruto grunted as he hopped to his feet. "She might actually believe you."

"It's too bad you're not going to win, though. I think I'd enjoy seeing the look on her face if she had to plant one on you."

"You could always take a dive, and I'd pay you back with some lunch."

Kisame grinned. "I like you, kid. Your jokes could use some work, but I like you. So I won't hurt you too bad in front of your girl."

"So do you just go around beating up kids, or is there something in particular you want from me?" Naruto asked as he whipped out three kunai and flung them at Kisame in one swift motion.

Kisame snorted as he turned his back briefly, deflecting the kunai with the wrapped sword strapped to his back. "Actually, a little of both recently, but they're not random kids, if that's what you're thinking."

"So you want the fox," Naruto said calmly.

Kisame paused, giving him a thoughtful look. "Not just yet. But I am starting to wonder why you don't have chakra flying out of your butt yet. From my information, you practically overflow with the stuff."

"Maybe he's shy?" Naruto guessed, sliding a hand over his belly. "You don't have some kind of fox fetish I should know about, right?"

Rage flashed in Kisame's eyes, but he caught himself as something clicked in his mind. "Ah, so that's it. Your 'friend' is smart, very smart. He must have heard of my sword."

"What's so great about it?" Naruto demanded. "And why aren't you using it?"

"I did say I didn't wanna mess you up too bad," Kisame reminded him. "And if I were to take out Samehada, let's just say you'd have an even harder time getting your girl to kiss you with half your face shaved down to the bone."

"So how are we going to have a good fight if neither of us is really trying?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Kisame snorted. "I could kill you without breaking a sweat. Right now, all I'm doing is watching and blocking."

Naruto glared at him. "You elbowed me in the mouth!"

Kisame grinned. "Yeah, well, you practically asked for it. Now why don't you show me some more, and I'll tell you if you're worthy of all this fame they've heaped on you."

* * *

_Sound Desert Base - October_

There was a warm, bubbly feeling in Iruka's stomach as he woke up, and for a long moment, he thought he might be sick, drugged, or both.

Tayuya cleared it up for him in her usual way.

"Wake up, dammit! Shit!"

Noticing her voice had come from directly above him, Iruka blinked a few times and tilted his head back. Tayuya was glaring down at him, her face bright red. He wasn't sure why, until it occurred to him that the soft, warm pillow his head was resting on was actually her legs.

Naturally, he couldn't help the wide grin that spread across his face.

"Stop smiling at me, you fucker!" Tayuya shouted angrily.

"Good morning to you, too, Tayuya-chan," Iruka replied, barely resisting the urge to turn his head for a better look at her.

"Just shut up and get off me!" she snapped.

Iruka blinked innocently. "I don't recall falling asleep this way, so I have to assume this was your doing."

Tayuya glared down at him. "The boss said it's supposed to help strengthen the bond, and if you're this cheeky, then it must've worked. Now that we know that, GET OFF!"

He made a show of letting out a long, fake yawn. "I'm actually quite comfortable right here... my mistress."

"Oooooh, I'm gonna get you for this, you bastard! You're supposed to obey me, damn you!"

"It's strange," Iruka noted, making himself a little more comfortable in her lap. "I do feel an overriding desire to make you happy. But for some reason, something in my head is telling me that THIS is making you happy. Now, why would I be thinking that, Tayuya-chan?"

"Fucker," she hissed, her cheeks burning. "I'll get you for this!"

"Don't be afraid to enjoy it," Iruka sighed happily. "No one has to know besides you and me. In fact, if it makes you feel better, and I'm pretty sure it would, I'd be glad to carry you in my arms when we travel."

"It's never gonna happen! NEVER!"

"We'll see," Iruka murmured, reaching up to stroke Tayuya's cheek with his finger. He noticed with a great deal of pleasure that she froze for a very long moment before finally remembering to jerk her head away. "I think I'm going to enjoy constantly following you around."

She wouldn't say so, but Iruka felt pretty confident in the knowledge that Tayuya would enjoy it, too.

* * *

_Konoha - November_

Of everyone present, Neji was perhaps the least surprised when Hanabi defeated her first opponent in under a minute. But even he began to get nervous when Hanabi improved upon that time with every victory, ending with her securing her spot in the finals with an impressive win of just ten seconds.

And then there was the way she was fighting. Neji had lived and breathed Gentle Fist taijutsu from the moment his father died, and the only ones who could possibly know the style better were Hiashi himself, and the clan elders.

Hanabi was using no form of Gentle Fist that he had ever seen or heard about. For one thing, she was barely using her eyes at all. Half of the time, Neji was certain she actually had them closed as she struck finishing blows. It was as if she knew where her opponent would be, and therefore only needed to aim at the space they would occupy in the next instant. Neji had been able to do much the same thing for some time now, but even that was educated guesswork, and sometimes failed against more intelligent opponents (not that there were many genin as smart as him). But Hanabi's accuracy bordered on psychic, and he had yet to see her miss even once.

Neji didn't let his concerns get in the way, though. He was out to prove that no matter what he had been labeled or branded as, he was the best in his generation. His winning times were not as fast as Hanabi's, but this was partially because Neji was not out to just win. He flattened his opponents whenever possible, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that they'd never stood a chance against him. There would be no controversy, and no disputes where his matches were concerned. He was the clear winner every time, and that was just how he wanted it.

But all of his questions returned to haunt him when just he and Hanabi were left in the tournament. Knowing what he now knew, he doubted himself. It was still possible, even likely, that he would win. But he could not be sure that the victory would be as decisive as the others. He could beat Hanabi, but she might hurt him in the process, and no matter who won, he would lose face if he could barely stand up afterwards.

Hanabi barely even looked at him as they came together on the sparring mat. She seemed perfectly calm, and that was no good for him.

"You have done well today, Hanabi-sama. I imagine no matter what the outcome of this match, you will be the new heiress."

"That may be," Hanabi replied quietly, "but I am still going to win."

Neji smirked at her. "I cannot allow that. We both know that I need this victory far more than you do, and I am willing to do anything to get it."

"I was about to tell you the same thing." Hanabi narrowed her eyes. "How can you need this more? You have already been sealed. I still have a chance to escape that fate."

"And so do my children," Neji replied firmly.

"Not if you plan on having more than one," Hanabi countered smoothly. "Have you learned nothing from watching Hinata and I?"

"I learned she could not stand under the pressures of the title. And I wonder if the same will happen to you."

Hanabi smiled. "If you are really so worried about my title, I'll be sure to make you my bodyguard so you can see firsthand how I deal with pressure. Assuming you can stand under all the pressure I'm going to put on you, that is."

"I think this match will tell us exactly who folds under pressure, Hanabi-sama."

"Agreed."

With no further warning, they attacked.

Neji had more experience and strength, but so had all of Hanabi's other opponents. She had in fact been the youngest participant in the tournament. Her body was small and compact, which translated into brief, blinding bursts of speed that had been the downfall of most of her opponents. But Neji could track her with his Byakugan, partially because he himself was faster, but mostly because Hanabi's chakra was giving off a pale, eerie glow that was all too easy to follow.

To his shock, Hanabi did not back off after the first few blows had been exchanged, with neither one scoring any big hits. Instead, she stayed with him, dodging as best she could and striking when she saw a decent chance.

Neji quickly grew frustrated. Hanabi was tiring, but not nearly as quickly as he'd expected. In the meantime, he was only landing glancing hits: Hanabi either avoided them entirely, or managed a block that felt weak to him, but somehow kept her from taking much damage. She didn't seem to be able to predict his movements, but she was prepared for them all the same.

The obvious solution was to throw something at her that she wasn't prepared for.

"You remind me of Hinata."

There it was, just as he'd suspected: a pause, and just enough to seal his victory.

Neji's foot shot out, striking Hanabi's left ankle just as she shifted her weight to it. Her eyes widened as she began to wobble, but before she could catch herself, Neji closed in and thrust the heel of his hand against her chin. Blood flew from Hanabi's mouth as her head snapped back, and though it was not entirely necessary, Neji made sure she was floored by delivering a final palm strike to her chest, knocking the wind out of her. She landed hard on her back, barely biting back a soft cry of outrage and frustration as she glared up at Neji.

Neji stared at her for a few seconds before sinking to his knees, bowing at her feet. It would not do to forget his place in front of the rest of the clan.

Hanabi slowly got up, though this had little to do with any injuries: she probably just wanted Neji bowing to her a little longer that was necessary. Once she was standing, he joined her, his face blank.

"Congratulations, Neji," Hanabi said stiffly. She had never bothered with the familiar form of address that Hinata had preferred, and now, Neji was glad for it.

He nodded respectfully. "Thank you, Hanabi-sama. I enjoyed our match immensely."

Hanabi nearly replied, but wisely kept her mouth shut as Hiashi walked up to them.

"You have both done very well in this tournament. You have shown us that there is great potential to be found in the younger generation. With that in mind, the Hyuuga clan council and I are pleased to reward you... both of you."

Traces of a frown appeared on Neji's face, and Hanabi simply stared at her father curiously.

"When Hanabi comes of age, the two of you will be married."

Neji's breath caught in his throat, and it took sheer strength of will to avoid coughing. Even then, his throat became dry, and he suddenly felt unbearably hot all over. He risked a glance at Hanabi, and was shocked to find a confused, heartbroken expression on her face. He wasn't excited about the idea of marrying her, either, but he'd expected something a little less... vulnerable from Hanabi, of all people.

He barely heard anything else that Hiashi said to him, and he knew it was the same for Hanabi. All Neji could think about was getting away, putting some space between him and this room, so he could think, and... breathe.

It was the same for the Hanabi, because the moment Hiashi was done talking, Hanabi bowed to him and then fled, as if hellhounds were at her heels.

There was an uncomfortable pressure in Neji's chest as he watched her go. He had been worried that Hanabi would end up being Gaara's mate. Based on what he'd just seen, though, she might actually prefer that to being his wife. He wasn't quite sure how that made him feel, but never in his wildest dreams had he thought that this might happen. Fate, it seemed, had a very strange sense of humor.

* * *

"It's not the end of the world, my little Hanabi. At least you know Neji. Trust me, the only thing worse than marrying someone you hate is marrying someone you've never met."

The words did not comfort Hanabi at all, and not for the first time, she wondered how harshly she would be punished for telling her mother's spirit to go to hell (or to possibly go back to it). At the moment, she was just angry enough to not care about being considerate of her dead mother's feelings, though.

"This is all your fault, you know."

"Really," Hyuuga Hotaru said, an amused smile on her lips. "How do you figure that?"

Hanabi glared at her. "You told me how to win. If I hadn't listened, I wouldn't have won, and then I wouldn't be stuck marrying Neji."

"As I recall, you demanded my help," Hotaru sighed, "and I certainly didn't have to teach you my own personal fighting style, which I invented. That, I did out of motherly pride. There's just something about seeing my baby girl beat up boys three times her size..."

"I am not a baby; I'm going to be married," Hanabi snapped.

Hotaru laughed, though not unkindly. "Oh, my darling child, you'll be my baby girl even when you have babies of your own. That's how these things work, you see, and no amount of pouting will change that. In fact, pouting only makes you cuter, which only makes you more my daughter. Of course, in my day, a cute smile was all I needed to bring the boys running. I had suitors as far as the eyes could see, and-"

"It might interest you," Hanabi said through clenched teeth, "to know that I have no desire to hear about your romantic exploits. Not now and not ever."

"Oh, sorry, dear," Hotaru murmured, though she didn't seem too sincere. "Anyway, Neji isn't such a bad guy to get stuck with. He's a little misguided, but we can fix that easily enough. At least he genuinely cares about what happens to you, and that can be a rare thing in this clan."

"I hadn't noticed," Hanabi muttered coldly.

Hotaru sighed and shook her head. "You know, I didn't have to give birth to you, my little one. At one point, it was made very clear to me that one of us wouldn't survive. I chose to give you life. I realize it wasn't easy growing up without me, but at least you had your sister. And before you say anything, she needed you as much as you needed her. You have no idea what losing both of us would've done to Hinata."

"I thought you said only one of us had to die?"

There was a brief pause, and Hotaru's seemingly ever-present smile thinned slightly. "That's right. But you must understand that there was very little joy in my life, Hanabi. I was very attached to my children. If I had lost you... well, you wouldn't have been alone for long. I'll tell you the same thing my mother told me. You can't lose a child without losing a piece of yourself. But I invested so much of myself into being a good mother, and if I had lost you, I have no doubt that I'd have died soon after. I saw it happen to a few of my aunts. They just... stopped living when they lost their children. Oh, they would call it natural death, but to a mother, nothing could be more unnatural than continuing on as if a child hadn't been there in the first place, even if it was unborn."

"If you loved me so much, why did you choose to stay with Hinata?" Hanabi demanded.

"There is a difference between neglecting a child for a time, and abandoning them entirely. You were a fighter from the start, but Hinata is still growing into that role. I knew you would still flourish if I focused on your sister. But if I had listened to my heart and stayed with you, your sister would be in the Branch House right now. And even if you never say so, I know you love Hinata too much to let that happen to her."

Hanabi said nothing to that. One of her more common nightmares a few years ago had featured Neji standing over her with the Branch House seal glowing on his forehead. But the more frightening version had him suddenly turning into Hinata. It was the only time Hanabi had ever feared her sister, instead of just being afraid for her.

"We both know why you're really upset about all this, though," Hotaru said softly, smiling sympathetically at her daughter. "It makes you doubt that vision you had, and it hurts your heart to think that you might not be with-"

"My visions have always served me well," Hanabi interrupted. "They are never wrong."

"I agree," Hotaru added at once. "Trust me, you wouldn't be able to fight like I did if they were wrong."

That much Hanabi agreed with. Her own natural impatience had made learning her mother's fighting style very difficult, since so much of it was just waiting and reacting instantly. She still had a hard time controlling the flow of information to her brain in battle: her eyes told her one thing (sometimes she would get a brief flash of insight in the middle of a fight, which was often as helpful as it was hurtful; Hanabi likened the experience to having a wall of bright light suddenly appear between her and her opponent, but she was the only one blinded by it), but the invisible chakra feelers deployed from her fingers told her so much more. It was generally easier, even mandatory at times, to close her eyes and depend entirely on the feelers. They picked up miniscule changes in the air, the slightest vibrations, virtually everything she ever needed to know, and then some. She hadn't really needed Hotaru's prior knowledge on pretty much every opponent she'd faced, but that had helped immensely, too.

Neji had been a different story. Hotaru seemed to know his moves better than anyone else's; probably she and Hizashi had been close while they lived. But knowing what Neji would do, and actually being able to prevent him from doing it, were two very different things. He'd been stronger than Hanabi had expected, and faster in some instances. It was all too ironic that he'd done the one thing Hanabi had fully expected, the mind games, and she'd STILL walked right into the trap, which ultimately resulted in her defeat.

But she didn't need a vision to know that win or lose, her father's decision would've been the same. One way or another, she would have been pushed into marrying Neji. If anything, her reaching the final round with Neji had cemented that choice.

"This doesn't mean that it will never happen for you and the one you love," Hotaru said softly, making Hanabi jump slightly. "It only means that you have to work harder to make it happen. And I know you're not afraid of a little hard work, Hanabi."

"No. I am not," Hanabi whispered, and suddenly she understood that she and Hinata were more like their mother than they had ever realized. Happiness did not come just because you smiled and pretended it was there all along. You had to be hurt to truly appreciate happiness and know when it was there... even if there was only a sliver of it amongst the overwhelming pain. That was what it truly meant to be happy in the world of shinobi: to be willing to suffer the greatest hurts for even the slightest hope of joy.

* * *

Neji felt more than a little awkward as he once again stepped into the shadow of his father (actually, the shadow of a statue of his father). He'd been doing that a lot recently, and nearly each time, he managed to uncover some minor truth that should have been obvious to him at first glance, but never was until it was too late to do anything about it.

Gaara was not a demon, at least, not all of the time. Demons didn't usually take an interest in sculpting, and those that did never paid tribute to anything other than themselves. But Gaara had created this statue of Neji's father, when his own family refused to even come up with a grave marker.

Hinata had always intended to leave. From the moment she expressed any interest in marrying outside of the clan, she had been mentally packing her bags.

Sasuke was nowhere near as troubled or crazy as rumors around town would have one believe. Or, if he was crazy, he was the type of crazy that made a scary kind of sense, in much the same way that Itachi was crazy, yet remained one of the most powerful shinobi alive. A functional, deadly type of crazy. Not surprisingly, more than a few Uchiha had displayed similar behavior throughout Konoha's history, and yet people were always surprised when they snapped. Neji had avoided such unpleasant shocks by simply refusing to trust any of them, and firmly believed he was much better off for it.

So when Hinata inevitably turned up dead under questionable circumstances one day, Neji would not make a scene. He would simply slip out of his room, quietly murder Sasuke in cold blood, and slip back in as if it were any other day. His clan would say nothing (a clear sign of support), and Hanabi would probably give him a medal. Then, they would move on. Perhaps Hinata would get a statue next to his father's, if Gaara were so inclined.

But this was the only time that Neji had actually come to his father's statue with the intent of facing a personal truth.

He found Hanabi stretched out at Hizashi's base, her hands and feet stained with grass and dirt. She was staring blankly up at the sky, her eyes red and her cheeks damp. Neji wondered briefly if the thought of being married to him was really so terrible as to keep her in tears all day.

"You must think I'm being very silly, Neji," she said quietly, her voice steady but flat.

"No, I do not, Hanabi-sama," he replied, sitting down next to her. "I expected this tournament to be life-altering, but not in this way."

"I could do far worse," she whispered, apparently not hearing him. "But that isn't the point. It should have been my choice."

Neji could understand that, but he doubted that Hanabi was this upset just because her father hadn't asked her opinion. "Would you have chosen me, if it had been your choice?"

"Definitely," Hanabi replied at once, with such certainty that Neji nearly gaped at her. "With Hinata gone, you're the only one left I can convince myself to tolerate on a regular basis. But..."

"But what?"

Hanabi bit her lip, shaking her head slightly. "It's not important."

Neji frowned. "You wouldn't have started to say it, if that were true."

Hanabi turned her head and stared at him curiously. "Are you saying that as my cousin, or my husband?"

"Whichever can get you to trust me, Hanabi-sama. I have even less control over this matter, but I think it will be far easier to deal with if we submit to your father's wishes... for the moment."

She nodded slightly, and that seemed to be the signal for fresh tears to spill from her eyes. "Neji... this is madness. I don't love you, and I probably never will."

"I would be shocked if your father ever supported a marriage based on love, Hanabi-sama," Neji replied.

"I wish Hinata was here," Hanabi said softly.

Neji frowned again. "What could she do about any of this?"

"Nothing," Hanabi admitted. "But she would hold me, stroke my hair, and tell me what a good person you were. And even if I didn't believe a word, I'd feel better because she believed it."

Without thinking, Neji started to reach for her. He caught himself at the last moment, and finally settled for placing his hand over hers. Hanabi did not pull away, and he was glad for that, even if it was only a little thing. He was uncertain how far they would have to follow this charade through, and if he would find his feelings toward Hanabi changing as he got to know her better. But he did know it would be a long time before he could ever think of her as anything other than his cousin, and hoped that would not work against them in the long run.

* * *

_6 Years, 3 Months in Konoha - February_

"Why do we have to do this again?" Sasuke asked irritably. "This is time we could be training."

Gaara closed his eyes and did a remarkable job of remaining calm, considering he was just as irritated as Sasuke. "Apparently, the council lacks faith in us, or at least in my ability to lead. They want to see that we are progressing at an acceptable rate. If not, they will attempt to go over the Sandaime's head and dismantle the team."

"They can't do that!" Hinata said sharply, her eyes narrowing in anger.

"Officially, they can," Gaara replied. "Literally, they'd need ANBU to force us, and I've spoken to most of the squad captains myself. There are precious few squads willing to go against the Sandaime, so we should be fine either way. I have no doubt we can impress a bunch of old ninja. Whether they will admit to being impressed is another matter. All you need to worry about is showing them something you've learned in the time we've been together. I will take care of the rest."

"I suppose it would be counterproductive to just kill one of them," Sasuke muttered darkly.

Gaara smirked. "I happen to think that would be all too impressive. But I suspect the council will not agree."

"What would happen if they managed to split us up, taichou?" Hinata asked.

"It wouldn't matter much. You and Sasuke are married, and the worst they could do about that is force him to take an additional wife. Konoha is too short on manpower to waste resources by barring capable ninja from active duty. Their real goal is just to keep you away from me."

"But you haven't done anything wrong!"

"Not recently," Gaara admitted. "But it is less what I've done, and more who I am, that they're taking issue with. That I am unfit to command is just a convenient excuse."

"You know we would follow you no matter what happens in there," Hinata assured him.

Gaara said nothing to that. If he had questioned their loyalty seriously, at any time, they'd already be dead. Saying so would probably not inspire team unity, though, and they needed that at the moment.

The conversation ceased as the door behind Gaara opened, revealing a grim-faced Morino Ibiki (but then, his face was always grim, no matter what the expression on it). "They're ready for you," he said simply. Then, in a lower tone, he added, "If it goes bad, I've got missions lined up for all three of you. They can split you up, but they can't let good ninja go to waste."

"Thank you, Ibiki-san," Hinata said quietly.

Ibiki had been the source of over half of their unofficial missions (which they were getting more of than official ones). Hinata still thought it was a little odd that the head of ANBU's Interrogation and Torture Division had things that even he needed done off of the record, but Ibiki had given them so many opportunities that she didn't question it much anymore. Gaara trusted him, and Sasuke respected him. Ibiki had been among the first to call her "Uchiha," although lately he'd changed it to "Uchiha-chan," which only annoyed Sasuke slightly less than being called "Uchiha-kun (especially when Gaara was just Gaara to pretty much anyone without a death wish).

They exited the room in their usual fashion: Gaara in the lead, Hinata in the middle, with Sasuke bringing up the rear. Strategically, this worked out best: Gaara and his considerable defenses faced the unknown first, while Sasuke made sure no threats came from behind, all of which allowed Hinata to scout safely from their midst. Hinata was not their weakest member, but Gaara and Sasuke were simply better at fighting from any distance. On the other hand, only Gaara could now stand up to Hinata's taijutsu without lasting damage when she was fighting at full strength, but then, having to punch through his sand so often had made Hinata stronger than any of them ever expected.

The meeting room of Konoha's Council of Elders was a spacious, echoy affair, probably meant to intimidate certain types of wrongdoers who stood before them. But for a team that had spent so much time in the dark, twisting hallways of Ibiki's preferred "questioning complex," it was just large and little else.

Sasuke had never had much patience for older people, and certainly not those who tried to get in his way. So neither Gaara nor Hinata was surprised when he approached the long desk the council was seated behind, a scowl firmly in place.

Mitokada Homura frowned at the display. "Uchiha Sasuke, you have not been asked to-"

"You want to be impressed," Sasuke sneered. "I can hardly do that if I submit to you like everyone else does. Last time I checked, that was normal, and very boring. Not at all... impressive. You people seem to forget that being a ninja isn't about impressing people, it's about killing them before they can do the same to you. If you've grown so senile that you've forgotten that, perhaps we need some new leaders around here."

Hinata glanced over to where the clan heads were sitting. Her father was pointedly not looking at her, but she saw Kiba's mother smirk, clearly amused by Sasuke's open defiance.

There was a muted gasp, and when Hinata faced the front of the room again, she saw why.

Sasuke had placed Kikyou on the desk, and the snake was enlarging at an alarming rate, quickly surpassing the point where "normal" snakes stopped growing. In a matter of seconds, even coiled up as she was, Kikyou was towering over the council members, most of whom looked alarmed at the least.

"If you are not impressed yet," Sasuke said calmly, "I suspect you will be, once you learn that I have not signed the snake summoning contract."

"He's obviously lying!" an older, female council member cried.

In the next instant, Kikyou surged forward, most of the council scattering to get out of her way. She stopped just in front of the woman who had spoken and glared at her. "You are not worth the effort it would take for Sasuke-sama to lie. He has not signed the contract, and he will never need to. I am the only snake he has any need for, and if you disrespect my master a second time, I will show you exactly why."

The woman promptly fainted, and Kikyou made a point of hissing at the clan heads as she returned to Sasuke. He did not return her to normal size, or put her away, and she remained by his side, glaring at anyone who dared to look at him for too long.

Hinata knew it was now her turn, since they'd agreed that Gaara would go last (and be the most impressive). She had decided ahead of time what she would do, and she had been counting on the fact that her father would be present. So far, she had only tried it on Gaara, but he was confident that since it worked on him, it would work on just about anyone.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata slowly moved across the room, stopping directly in front of her father. Ideally, she would have kept her expression blank, but seeing him again stirred up a maelstrom of emotion inside of her, and it was all she could do to limit herself to a simple glare.

"Hello, otou-sama," she said quietly.

"I am not your father, Hinata," he replied just as quietly, narrowing his eyes. "Not anymore, at least."

"Then I am no longer limited by the rules of your clan," Hinata reminded him coldly. "This is how I choose to address you. I would think you would be glad that I still did so with any respect at all."

"Is it not traditional to obey one's father?" he asked without missing a beat.

"I would, if I thought you had my best interests at heart. You can't blame me for choosing to be with someone who does."

Hiashi shook his head slightly. "I feel obligated to remind you that you have been summoned here for a reason, child."

Hinata nodded. "Is there anything you would like to tell me? For example, how is Hanabi?"

Hiashi frowned at her. "You are no longer entitled to be informed of her well-being, and I have nothing more to say to you."

"Very well, otou-sama. I will now pierce your mind and learn from your memories."

"Really," Hiashi said, sounding amused. "Your Byakugan is not developed enough for that."

"If anyone here truly knew what my teammates and I were capable of, this meeting would not be necessary," Hinata pointed out with a tight smile. "And I don't recall saying I would use my Byakugan at all."

"You will never be able to-"

"Please congratulate Hanabi and Neji for me. I'm sure they will make a smart couple. But I do wish you had eased them into the idea first."

Hiashi's lips drew into a very thin line, but he remained silent.

"You can also stop worrying about where Hanabi learned those moves from," Hinata continued. "Certain things are sacred between a mother and her daughters-"

"That aspect of Gentle Fist was forbidden for a reason," Hiashi snapped.

Hinata shook her head sadly. "That is strange, coming from the Hyuuga clan head. You teach that everything of the Hyuuga is of the best quality, even to the point where you forbid the children from learning anything other than clan techniques. Now you would keep them from learning those as well? How will Hanabi become a proper heiress if she is unable to practice the style that she excels at? How can you expect any of the children to survive if you deprive them of knowledge that everyone outside of the clan has?"

"I do not have to discuss any of this with you, Hinata."

"No, you don't," Hinata agreed. "But if my sister dies, and her death could've easily been prevented with a more open-minded approach, nothing will spare you from my wrath."

Hiashi smirked at her. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm making you a promise," Hinata replied as she turned away from him. "Threats were always your specialty, otou-sama." She returned to her teammates and almost absently began to stroke Kikyou as Gaara stepped forward.

"Most of you are here simply to see if the demon child has corrupted the heirs of your precious noble clans," Gaara stated. "Rest assured if that were the case, you would all be very dead now."

Utatane Koharu narrowed her eyes at him. "This council will not tolerate any further threats to anyone present, indirect or otherwise."

"It was not a threat," Gaara replied at once, glaring right back at her. "Or have you known Shukaku to be merciful at some point? You, who has never had to live in true fear of him taking over your mind and body? Which of us do you think best knows what he is capable of, or likely to do? You, who simply fear him, or I, who shares existence with him every single moment? Forgive me, I was not aware that one could become an expert on a demon without being forced to share a body with it for all of their days. I suppose I am close-minded that way."

Koharu remained silent, but her face was bright red in anger, embarrassment, or most probably both.

"You wish to know that Hinata and Sasuke are in good hands. Are they not alive and in good health? Is this not a rare thing for genin who often undertake missions that others their age are greatly unprepared for? What other proof could you possibly need to satisfy your curiosity? The only times even remnants of Shukaku have surfaced in my time here was when I allowed it. I do not expect you to believe that, though, so I have brought this as proof."

Gaara stretched out his arm, and in the next moment, his hand was replaced by a long, curved sword, the blade covered in glowing blue runes that pulsed every few seconds. "Meet Gosunkugi, Sword of Destruction, first form of the Tanuki Nail, the Sword of Shukaku." He lightly prodded the desk with the sword's tip, and the desk immediately dissolved into sand that devoured everything that had been previously resting on the desk (save for a few council member's arms).

A tense silence stretched over the room, and nothing moved, save for the sand that collected around Gaara's feet.

"This whole meeting has been pointless," Sasuke sighed loudly. "When are you people going to realize that when you have to answer to a demon vessel, it's extremely hard to respect a mere human, especially a group of them that are so... wise?" And it was fairly obvious that by "wise," he really just meant "old."

"He has made us strong," Hinata chimed in. "Stronger than we ever would've become alone, or left in the hands of our... families. And isn't that what every young ninja should strive for? To be strong enough to aid their village in times of need? Why should any of you, who have sworn to serve and protect Konoha, have a problem with that? He is only doing what you would do yourselves, if you had been cursed with his enormous power. The only difference is that he receives little or no credit for the great things that he does. We, at least, recognize him for what he is, and for what he has done for us. Sasuke and I will follow no one else's commands without what we consider to be excellent reason."

"And there's no telling what I might do if you try to separate us," Sasuke added. "After all, without Hinata's calming influence, and Gaara's firm leadership to keep me in line, I might just... flip out."

Sasuke was joking, of course, but he could see that almost no one else in the room took it that way... which was just fine with him.

* * *

Kin had been in a constant state of disbelief for the better part of three days now. Currently, she was sitting at a campfire, eating instant ramen with Naruto, her self-proclaimed boyfriend, and Hoshigaki Kisame, perhaps the most deadly swordsman that had ever lived. Kisame claimed to hate the stuff, but like most sharks, was not exactly picky about what went into his mouth, so long as there was a lot of it, and it stayed down.

As near as Kin could tell, Kisame was training Naruto. Or perhaps it was the other way around. Naruto didn't have a sword of his own, but under Kisame's guidance, he had improved his Kaze no Yaiba (Blade of the Wind) to the point where it more closely resembled Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough) when he swung it. Likewise, Kisame now had a water-based version of Naruto's Wind Sphere. Naturally, Kisame's could spin his at a much higher speed, and he had taken great pleasure in teasing Naruto about that in an attempt to increase the boy's spin as well. It had worked, but Kisame still had more power and control.

Kin realized with a start that this was how many missing-nin must have survived: by learning whatever they could, whenever they could. Of course, the villages they left gave them a firm foundation to stand upon, but that would rarely keep a ninja alive against hunter-nin experienced in killing people with similar abilities. It was the new skills they gained on the run that kept them alive, and one step ahead of the hunter-nin.

She was also slightly jealous of how quickly Naruto had bonded with Kisame (especially after Kisame had spent most of that first day pounding Naruto into the sand with nothing but his bare hands). Naruto was not a missing-nin (technically, since his village had given him away, this was true), but he understood how it felt to be betrayed, or to simply outgrow one's home. Kisame depended on little more than himself and his sword, which reminded Kin a little too much of Naruto and Kyuubi's connection.

And the whole time, she did her best to quiet the little voice in the back of her head that insisted Orochimaru would have a problem with them buddying around with a member of Akatsuki. If Kisame didn't want them to leave, well, what could SHE do about it? She was lucky he hadn't killed her just to have some privacy with Naruto. Still, even though Orochimaru would be very upset to learn about this, he'd be even more upset if she tried to hide it from him. And why should she? It wouldn't take him long to figure out where Naruto's new respect for water and swords originated from.

Parting with Kisame, however, turned out to be much easier than she'd expected. He simply finished his ramen, said he needed to be going, and left. Kin glanced at Naruto, but he seemed perfectly fine with it, so she said nothing.

"So he's with... Akatsuki?" Naruto murmured slowly, as if testing how the word felt on his lips.

Kin nodded, wondering what he was thinking. She was very much discouraged to find a smile spreading across his face.

"Cool," he said approvingly, and that was the last word that passed between them until they were back in Suna.

* * *

_Land of Waves - February_

"Hey, Tsunami-san, who is this Gato person I keep hearing about?"

Tsunami froze and slowly forced herself to turn around. The teenage girl she'd found a month ago on the street, half-dead and drenched, was staring up at her. It amazed her, how much curiosity she could see in the girl's golden eyes whenever she was trying to wrap her mind around something. It was almost as if she could hear the gears turning inside the girl's head.

"He's... a very rich and powerful man, Yugito-chan," Tsunami answered after a moment.

"Really? I thought he was a crime boss?"

Tsunami flinched. "Well... he's that, too..."

Yugito nodded. "Oh. So you don't like him much, right?"

"Not... really..."

"He killed my father."

Tsunami and Yugito both turned to see Tsunami's young son standing in the doorway to the kitchen. His eyes were filled with cold fury, and he was trembling slightly.

"Inari, you know you can't just go around saying things like that," Tsunami scolded lightly. "What if some of his men heard you?"

"Then I guess I'd die, just like he did," Inari muttered as he stomped into the room.

Tsunami sighed and turned back to the girl. "It's a very sensitive subject for us, Yugito-chan. We don't really like to talk about it."

Yugito nodded again. "Just one more question, Tsunami-san. Does everyone know about this? Is it common knowledge what Gato did?"

"Yes... but I know what you're getting at. Gato has hundreds of hired men, most of them ruthless killers. Plus, he controls the police. It wouldn't do any good to report it. If we had a shinobi village close by, and we could afford their help, maybe things would be different. But as it is, Konoha is the closest, and their rates are too high. My father is an old friend of the Hokage, but I don't know how much help that will be. They have to charge for missions for a reason, after all."

"So no one can do anything?" Yugito asked quietly.

"It's not that we can't," Tsunami sighed. "Believe me, if I had any ninja training, I'd kill Gato myself. But this land is isolated from all others. My father is the only one who can do anything about that, and they're already seeking his life. I suppose we could leave, but I'm afraid that Gato would decide to kill all of us then. He must see this family as nothing but troublemakers."

"What good would ninja training do?" Inari snapped. "You'd just end up dead, like him! At least once grampa's gone, Gato might leave us alone!"

"Inari!" Tsunami cried in shock. "Don't ever say that!"

"It's true! He doesn't have any reason to kill us!"

"And you think that will make you safe from him?" Yugito asked. "From the sounds of it, Gato would kill you and anyone else just because he could. Doing nothing changes nothing, Inari-kun."

Inari glared at her. "What do you know? You're just a dumb girl we found lying in the street! You don't know how things work around here!"

"I know there's little difference between doing nothing and being dead," Yugito countered. "It's like you're already dead, and you're just waiting for Gato to bury you."

Inari snorted and turned his back on her. "And what do you suggest we do, huh?"

Yugito's eyes became glassy as she stared into space. "Protect what is precious to you with both arms."

Inari froze, his eyes widening. "What did you say?" he whispered.

"It's a nice saying, don't you think?" Yugito murmured, tapping her chin with a finger. "It sounds like something a hero would say. Well, some people might call it foolish, but I think it's very brave. I mean, if you do nothing but cry and complain, what right do you have to complain at all? You're not trying to fix things, so you can't be surprised if they never get better. At least, that's how I see it."

Without a word, Inari ran out of the kitchen.

"I think you may have actually reached him, Yugito-chan," Tsunami said. "But... how did you know that Kaiza used to say that?"

"I must have heard it in town somewhere," Yugito replied dismissively. "But were you serious about training, Tsunami-san? I used to live near a ninja village, and I learned a lot. I could show you some things, if you want. Think of it as thanks for saving my life."

Tsunami blinked. "Yugito-chan, you already cook our meals, wash our clothes, and do the grocery shopping. You've done enough!"

"Do you want to learn?" Yugito insisted.

Tsunami bit her lip uncertainly. "Yes...? But are you sure about this? I mean, since you're not a ninja yourself...?"

"I'm pretty sure I got the basics down," Yugito replied with a wide grin. "You might not be able to take on all of Gato's men, but if the man himself ever shows up alone on your doorstep, you can at least handle him when I'm done."

* * *

_Location Unknown – February_

Uchiha Itachi was just downing the last of his sake when someone sat down beside him. Considering that even people who didn't know him on sight generally knew enough to stay away, there were only so many people who would dare to get that close to him. So he was less annoyed and more resigned when he glanced up to find his partner grinning down at him.

"You're late, Kisame," Itachi noted calmly. "And something tells me that you didn't put a good scare into the boy like we agreed."

"We agreed that you'd let me handle it, while you took some time off. Our orders were just to introduce ourselves," Kisame answered. "He knows my name. Actually, his girlfriend knew, and she told him. She'll probably tell Orochimaru, too, so it's good news all around. Just wish I could see his face when he finds out that he's not the only one interested in having the brat play for his team."

Itachi paused, turning to give Kisame his full attention. "What," he said flatly.

"Hmm?"

Itachi glared at his partner. "Kisame. What did you just say?"

Kisame blinked. "Uh. Hmm?"

"Before that."

"The brat might be interested in playing-"

"That," Itachi interrupted, "was not part of the plan. I distinctly recall telling you not to deviate from the plan."

"Aw, you're not going to get all bent out of shape about this, are you, Itachi? The point is the kid knows who I am, AND, if he sees me again, you know what he'll do? Instead of trying to take my head off, he'll probably just walk up and say lunch is on him! Now, who else in our little club could say that about their target? I bet Hidan wishes he'd done the same thing right now, wherever the hell he is."

"You can't have lunch with the target," Itachi insisted. "It just isn't done."

Kisame snorted. "This from the guy who never wants to leave a tip? You're telling me if the kid offered to buy us lunch, you'd really knock him out before he could?"

Itachi opened his mouth, frowned, and fell silent. He did hate to tip so very much. And Kisame always, ALWAYS ordered a million side items that ended up costing more than their main dishes combined…

"So my plan worked out better, end of story," Kisame concluded.

"But you do realize it would never work," Itachi said after a long moment. "We want the Kyuubi, not the boy. The power, not the container."

"Seems to me," Kisame said neutrally, "we could get both with less trouble."

"That's dangerous thinking, Kisame," Itachi warned him.

"Is there any other kind for people like us?"

"No," Itachi agreed, "but there's no need to get crazy when it's completely unnecessary."

"I liked you better when you were new to this," Kisame stated boldly. "Then, you did crazy five days a week, and then three days straight on the weekends."

"That was then."

"Then was fun."

"Perhaps," Itachi admitted quietly with a ghost of a smile, "but things are far more serious now. Hidan is lost to us-"

Kisame grunted. "He blabbed too much, anyway."

"-and the Nibi is reaching the point where she might officially be considered… problematic."

"She's a cat. Cats suck. We've been over this before. I'd bet you anything Hidan told her he couldn't die, and she set out to prove him wrong. Brought it on himself, I say. And I'll say one thing for Orochimaru: he's a pain in the ass, but if he invited somebody to kill him, he'd have a backup plan ready in case they actually did. Hidan I wouldn't even bother to drink to."

"I've never known you to turn down a drink, Kisame."

"Well, that's how much I didn't like the guy. I'd rather go dry. Although, since he IS dead, we might as well drink to him staying that way."

Itachi smirked and signaled the bartender. "Now that sounds more like the Kisame I know."

**End of Chapter 14.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Hotaru: firefly

Kikyou's jutsu:

**Hebi Hijutsu: Douka (Snake Secret Technique: Absorption):**

Kikyou is able to absorb chakra from virtually any source to rapidly increase her size and strength. She does not need Sasuke to initiate the process, though he usually does for faster results.

Hinata's jutsu:

**Katsugan no Jutsu (Piercing Eye Technique):**

By maintaining eye contact, the user can peer into a person's memories. The most recent memories can be observed with little more than a brief glance, but anything beyond that requires an extended stare.

Gaara's sword:

Form 1: **Gosunkugi (Long Nail):**

Anything that touches the sword's blade can instantly be transformed into sand.

Hanabi's jutsu:

**Kaigan no Senjukannon (Enlightenment of Senjukannon):**

The user extends chakra feelers from points on their body, which are able to sense the slightest shifts in the air and vibrations, including: heartbeats, footsteps, breathing, and the movement of anything large enough to be seen with the human eye. Unlike chakra strings, the feelers are purely for information gathering. The jutsu's name originates from the thousand-armed Goddess of Mercy. The sheer amount of information gained through this technique makes it very dangerous, as it can put a great deal of stress on the brain. This is especially true for younger users. There are methods to limit the amount of information received, but most of them rely on physical seals that are only temporary, and must be reapplied regularly for continued use.

Naruto's jutsu:

**Futon: Erai Yaiba (Wind Release: Great Sword):**

A greatly exaggerated version of the Blade of the Wind. Naruto cuts an enormous swath through the air with an invisible sword of wind chakra. For more power (at the cost of lower speed), instead of simply extending the sword from his fingers, Naruto can use his entire arm as the sword's hilt, though he then needs his other arm to aim properly. ("erai" can also mean celebrated, eminent, terrible, awful, famous, remarkable, or excellent)

Kisame's jutsu:

**Same Kyuu (Shark Sphere):**

A water-based version of Naruto's Wind Sphere. When spinning at a high enough speed, the sphere sprouts tiny fins that make it easier to cut through matter.


	15. A White and Pure World

WARNING: This chapter contains a scene that depicts, rather vaguely in my opinion, the act of rape. I don't enjoy doing it, but I feel it's necessary to set certain events in motion, and aside from that, I think it's fairly realistic, given the situation as a whole. There are bound to be people who disagree for a variety of reasons, and if this one scene ruins the whole story for you, well, chances are I wasn't doing a good enough job of holding your interest in the first place.

Note: So there's no confusion, I've decided to leave Haku unchanged as far as gender. But all that really means is that you readers shouldn't make the same mistake that some characters do. Keep that in mind when Haku is being described from another person's point of view.

2nd Note: I hope you all enjoyed the fairly fast updates, because they'll probably slow down in the near future. I'm starting training for a night job, and I'm trying to balance a night class on top of that, so we'll see how that goes. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 15: A White and Pure World**

* * *

_Unknown Location - March_

"Bet I can do something you can't."

Even though he knew better, Uchiha Itachi came to a sudden stop and LOOKED at Kisame, who was of course grinning like mad. Itachi also should have known better than to believe that they could make it through the forest without incident. Kisame got bored quickly, and when he was bored, he tended to distract himself, and more often than not Itachi, in some of the most pointless his demented mind could dream up.

Kisame's grin widened as he leaned back against a tree. "If you can't do it, lunch is on you."

Itachi glared, mostly because lunch was nearly always on him. He was better with money, admittedly because he was cheap, but they always had money because of him, so Kisame usually didn't complain… unless he forgot, in which case Itachi was quick to remind him. "Fine."

Kisame raised his hand and, with a flourish that Itachi knew was completely unnecessary, suddenly formed a swirling ball of water in his hand. The ball began to spin at an incredibly high speed, until what looked like several lines of tiny fins formed on its surface.

"I assume you'll have to use fire," Kisame added in what he must've thought was a gracious tone. "That is, IF you can even control it that well."

Itachi had to bite his lip quite hard to keep from saying anything. Kisame's teasing was usually good-natured, and even when it wasn't, they did their best not to come to blows. There were special times set aside every month for beating the crap out of each other, and they were a few weeks away from the next such opportunity. Itachi firmly believed that this was healthy for both of them, since as well as they generally got along, there were times when they just wanted to be allowed to kill each other without having a falling out. It also kept their skills sharp, and allowed Itachi to repay Kisame for all the times he'd run off at the mouth in the previous weeks.

Still, it wasn't easy, but the best way to shut Kisame up was to go along with whatever he was scheming, despite how unwise that typically was. The last such incident, about a year ago, had resulted in a small explosion at a bar, which quickly grew into a mile-long trail of black fire. If current reports were accurate, they'd have it completely put out in another week or so.

In other words, Itachi kept his mouth shut, formed a good-sized ball of fire in his hand, and quickly went about spinning it. It was trickier than it looked, and from the smirk on Kisame's face, it wasn't quite as good as his. Itachi was not one to be outdone, though, especially not if he would have to hear Kisame bragging for weeks on end. Within a minute, his fireball suddenly gained a large ring around it, as if it were a small replica of the planet Saturn. He was debating how this might impact the explosive potential when Kisame solved the question for him, by pushing his water ball against Itachi's fireball.

Five minutes later, Itachi was STILL trying to get the scorch marks out of his cloak, and Kisame had a nice-sized purple bruise forming over one eye (amazingly, that had come from the resulting explosion, and not Itachi).

"NEVER do that again," Itachi growled.

"Right," Kisame agreed, a little groggily. "But it was cool, wasn't it?"

"Shut up, Kisame."

"You're just mad because your spin sucked. And lunch is on you."

"The bet was that you could do something I couldn't. Unless you actually WANT to be blown up again, I win."

Kisame looked as if he wanted to argue, but finally sighed. "Damn. You even win the bets when you're not drunk and/or crazy."

"Maybe you should stop coming up with them, then."

"What?! THEN what would we do to entertain ourselves?" Kisame demanded in apparent outrage.

"We could always laugh at you."

Kisame glowered at him. "You suck, Itachi."

Itachi just looked at his partner, torn between smirking at his apparent victory, and not saying anything so they could keep moving. "Hn."

No more words passed between them, and ten seconds later, Kisame was done sulking, so they moved on.

* * *

_6 Years, 4 Months in Konoha - March_

The Sandaime Hokage was pacing.

In all the time that Gaara had known the man, never had he paced. He smoked every now and then, but that could be passed off as a hobby. Strangely, the whole office seemed to reflect it's owner's mood, because it suddenly seemed entirely too small and stuffy.

Something was very wrong, and the old man's next words confirmed it.

"Last month, Team 10 was sent to escort the bridge builder Tazuna back to the Land of Waves. At the time, it was classified as a C-rank mission."

"What is the rank now?" Sasuke asked, seeing where this was going.

The Sandaime avoided Sasuke's question, for the moment, and sat down at his desk. "The mission has failed. The team was ambushed by a large force made up of mostly of mercenaries, with a few Mist missing-nin. Tazuna is dead, and two members of the team have been taken hostage, while the remaining two are too injured to mount a rescue attempt."

Hinata frowned. "They took Ino-chan and Asuma-sensei?"

The Hokage nodded gravely.

Sasuke blinked and stared at Hinata. "How did you know that?"

"Asuma-sensei is both Hokage-sama's son, and a former Guard Ninja of Fire. There is a considerable bounty on his head. As for Ino-chan..." Hinata hesitated, her voice trembling as she paled slightly. "She's very pretty..."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, flashing red for an instant. He was not fond of Ino, but her situation angered him in principle, since it could happen to Hinata if he ever failed to protect her. "When do we leave?"

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but there is more you need to be aware of," the Sandaime sighed. "The leader of this group is Momochi Zabuza, the infamous Demon of the Mist. He is in the employ of Gato, a ruthless businessman with near-unlimited resources. If you do not diffuse the situation fast enough, you will face a never-ending stream of desperate men drawn by Gato's money. Also, Zabuza seems to have taken on an apprentice who is even more talented than himself."

"We will leave tonight," Gaara said abruptly.

The Hokage stared at him in surprise. "Gaara, are you certain about this?"

"He is your son. You want him back. Any son should be with a father who cares for him. It's simple."

Though the Sandaime said nothing, the slight moisture in his eyes spoke volumes.

"We can't forget about Ino-chan and the others, taichou," Hinata said, touching Gaara's shoulder.

Gaara said nothing, but it was obvious from his slightly darker expression that he hadn't forgotten his only encounter with Ino. Whether he would "forget" her once they reached the Land of Waves remained to be seen. Anyway, Hinata was very good at remembering the people he didn't like, so it was certain that Ino's name would pop up at an opportune moment.

"I must warn you again," the Sandaime said quietly. "Asuma is one of the most powerful jounin in this village. It would take more than sheer numbers, or even Zabuza, to overwhelm him. The fact that he was taken does not disturb me as much as the idea that he was somehow defeated in the first place. We must also keep in mind that Zabuza was formerly a comrade of a member of Akatsuki. This may just be an elaborate trap designed to draw out Shukaku."

"Only one person that has drawn out Shukaku has lived to tell about it," Gaara replied, "and that is only because I haven't returned to Suna to deal with him, yet. If Zabuza wants to meet a real demon, I can hardly refuse him." He shared a brief glance with Sasuke and Hinata before heading to the door. "We have a mission to prepare for."

Hinata moved around the desk and placed her hand over the Sandaime's. "Please try not to worry, Hokage-sama," she said softly. "Each of us owes Asuma-sensei a great deal. We would never abandon him or his team. You have my word that we will not return without them."

"I am far more worried that you will not return at all, my dear," the old man whispered, "and that my lapse in judgment will cost this village not one, but two of it's promising young teams."

For all her good intentions, Hinata could think of nothing to say to that. Instead, she simply hugged the old man, and was slightly cheered when, after a few awkward seconds, he returned the embrace lightly. She gave him one more reassuring smile, patted his arm, and quickly left the room.

Hinata caught up to her teammates just outside the Hokage's office, as they had come to a sudden stop. A hostile-looking Team 8 was blocking their path. At least, Kiba and Sakura seemed particularly angry, but Shino came off as perfectly neutral, as usual.

"They gave the rescue mission to you three, didn't they?" Sakura demanded.

"That's none of your business, Sakura," Sasuke replied at once.

"THE HELL IT ISN'T!" Sakura shouted, startling even Sasuke. "Ino... Ino is MY best friend, and Hinata's the only one of you that even gives a damn about her! We should be the ones going, not you!"

Gaara closed his eyes. "You are mistaken."

Sakura glared at him. "What did you say?!"

"The team most fit for this mission is not the one who cares the most for the hostages, but the one who is most likely to meet all of the mission objectives. In your current state, you are far more likely to either get yourself captured focusing on the Yamanaka girl, or only save her and leave her teammates for dead. Those outcomes are unacceptable, for the Hokage, as well as the Akimichi and Nara clans. Your friend is not the only one that matters to this village."

"And what guarantee do we have that your team is more capable than ours?" Shino asked calmly.

"The Sandaime's picking us over you, for one thing," Sasuke pointed out with a smirk.

Kiba's lips pulled back in a snarl, and Akamaru very nearly leaped out of his jacket in an attempt to bite Sasuke.

"Despite appearances to the contrary," Gaara added before things could get out of hand, "we are a full-fledged ANBU squad, and we have the Hokage's authorization to apprehend any persons we classify as threats to the success of our missions. It would be a simple matter to escort all of you into his office for a quick judgment."

"We have each completed two A-rank missions at least, both of which were mandatory to our continued existence as a unit," Hinata stated softly. "We are qualified, Sakura... at the very least, more qualified than your team. And I can promise you that we won't return without Ino's entire team."

"And," Gaara went on, "I have the authority to punish her attackers through any means I deem necessary. I am well within my rights to simply kill them on sight."

Kiba calmed down at once, finally seeing the sense in that. He knew for a fact that Gaara had no problem with killing, but he'd never thought it would prove useful for his own team.

Sakura still wasn't convinced, though. "If you had a choice, would you choose to save Ino? Does whether she lives or dies matter to you at all?"

Gaara frowned, giving the idea more thought than he would usually bother to. "She is foolish, impulsive, and rude. But I would not condemn her to die in such a way simply because of that." And before Sakura could demand that he explain how he thought Ino might die, Gaara brushed past them, with Sasuke following close behind him.

"Try not to worry too much, Sakura," Hinata advised. "It would only get in the way of your training. Besides, we haven't forgotten how you helped us when we were starting out, and we always repay our debts."

* * *

_6 Years, 4 Months in Suna - March_

"I never should've let him go without me," Meg sighed, curling her body a little tighter around Temari's neck.

Temari said nothing as she reached up to stroke the tension out of the weasel. "It's not your fault Naruto wanted some privacy with Kin," she offered a few seconds later. "For all we knew, it was completely innocent... at the time. But... that wouldn't explain how he's changed."

"But just look at him! He wasn't like that before!" Meg insisted.

Temari bit her lip as she watched Naruto do something he rarely ever did: tear through his own Shadow Clones like they were hated enemies. Usually, he just dispatched them with taijutsu, but today he was totally slaughtering them in the most obvious example of overkill that Temari had ever seen. She was just glad that the clones ceased to exist before their guts could come flying out, or the sand in the training area would have been blood red for days at least.

Neither Naruto nor Kin had said much about their little trip to the border. Kin clearly wasn't happy about it, while Naruto was. At first, Temari had wondered if maybe Naruto had made a move on Kin that she hadn't appreciated. He was always eager to get closer to Kin, but Temari just couldn't picture Naruto forcing a girl he liked to do anything she didn't want to already. And then there was the way Kin was refusing to talk about it. She wasn't blushing, which would've been a dead giveaway. Instead, she would just clam up, even get angry if pressed about it. She almost seemed jealous, but of what, Temari had no clue.

Strangely enough, Naruto's new aggression did not appear to be related to Kyuubi. In fact, Temari had seen no trace of the demon since Naruto's return, which was very strange, considering just how violent Naruto had been these past few days. Meg assured her that the fox was still there (Naruto would be dead if he weren't, for one thing), he just wasn't influencing Naruto as he once had. Not even Meg could figure out why that was, though.

Temari didn't like it, but she didn't know that there was anything she could do. Naruto had always come to her when something was really bothering him, unless he thought it would be too weird or personal to talk about. The problem now was that this new change wasn't bothering him from what she could see, so he probably wouldn't say a word.

"I just wish I'd been there," Meg whined. "You know we can't trust him with that hussy around."

Temari rolled her eyes. "Meg, you do know that Naruto is the one that usually glomps her, right? He practically has to beg her for kisses."

"So what if she put out?"

Temari gave her best effort not to laugh, but failed. "And how do you get that?"

"Well, Naruto's in a good mood, and he's beating up everything in sight. Maybe he's trying to keep busy until she agrees to do it again. And maybe Kin's mad because Naruto got his jollies and she didn't."

"Did you just say jollies?" Temari asked, covering her mouth to keep from snickering.

"Shush, this is serious!" Meg snapped.

"Then don't say jollies, and just call it what it is!"

"THE POINT IS, we need to teach Naruto how to properly please a woman."

Temari stared at Meg blankly. "No, we don't."

"Why not?"

"Because MY little brother shouldn't be doing that in the first place."

"It's a little late now, don't you think?"

"It would be, if he'd done it, which he hasn't. Don't you think he'd have a ton of questions about that type of thing before he did it? And why would Kin go from barely to kissing to just throwing herself at him overnight? And anyway, getting laid is supposed to help you release stress, so why is he beating up everything he gets his hands on?"

"Um, I'm working on it," Meg muttered, sounding a little less sure of her theory.

"There is no need to worry about him, Temari-san," said a voice behind her. "Naruto-kun is just improving himself."

Temari frowned as Kabuto came to stand beside her. "How would you know?"

"Can't you see the look in his eyes? He just wants to get stronger, fast. Something must have happened on his trip that woke him up. Maybe he met someone much stronger than he is. What would you do, if that happened to you?"

"Train harder than ever," Temari admitted slowly, hating that Kabuto might be right.

"So you see, it's not so odd. Naruto is only doing what comes naturally to shinobi." Kabuto smirked slightly. "At this rate, I think he will be more than ready for the invasion, don't you?"

Temari swallowed hard and closed her eyes as Naruto punched a clone so hard that its head seemed to pop off. Maybe he would be ready for the invasion, but she didn't want it to come at the cost of her brother turning into a mindless monster.

* * *

The usual training area of Team Guy was deep within one of the many wooded areas of Konoha, partially because they needed the trees to practice on, but mostly because Guy insisted that they start each workout with a "brisk jog," which would "stoke the flames of youth" in their bodies. Unfortunately, what Guy considered a brisk jog was generally seen as cruel and unusual punishment, even by the average jounin.

In other words, Guy's methods were a bit extreme, so it was not surprising to hear prolonged shouts of pain and/or misery emanating from that particularly section of the forest. But on this day, it was surprising, in that the shout was not pained or miserable, but merely startled.

"You're WHAT!"

Neji closed his eyes and resisted the urge to sigh. Even now, he had no idea what had possessed him to formally inform his teammates of his impending marriage. It was probably a sense of duty or something silly like that. Honestly, though, he'd expected Lee to get loud about it, not Tenten...

"I will marry my cousin Hanabi once she is of age," Neji repeated slowly, so there could be no excuse for not hearing or misunderstanding him this time. "It is the will of the Hyuuga council."

There was complete silence for a few moments, until Lee apparently remembered that HE was supposed to be the loud one, and quickly proceeded to make up for lost time.

"NEJI-KUN, my eternal rival, this is truly a glorious day!" he cried, springing to his feet. Lee grabbed one of Neji's hands with both of his own and pumped it up and down rapidly, in a rather exaggerated excuse for a handshake.

Neji just stared at him blankly, exceedingly glad that he'd chosen to tell Lee and Tenten AFTER they'd parted ways with Guy. Honestly, the tears of joy currently streaming down Lee's face were bad enough alone. He didn't want to think of what damage would be done to his eyes if he had to witness Lee and Guy... hugging each other over this.

Tenten's reaction was worrying, though. He hadn't expected her to be glad, exactly, but still. She was staring at him as if there were something wrong with him. Perhaps she mistakenly thought the marriage had been his idea? It was hard to say, but Tenten certainly did not seem pleased.

"How does Hanabi feel about this?" Tenten finally asked, sounding much calmer now (at least, she wasn't shouting anymore). By obvious silent agreement, they both chose to ignore the rather disturbing display of Lee bawling into the sleeve of his horrid forest green spandex suit.

"She is... not pleased," Neji admitted, "but she understands why this must be done."

"How do you know that?"

Neji glared at her slightly. "We talked. She has agreed to go along with it, for now."

"So neither of you loves the other?" Tenten demanded.

"That was never a consideration," Neji replied at once.

"And this doesn't bother you?"

"Considering there is no one I am in love with? No."

"And what about Hanabi? Is she in love with someone?"

Neji opened his mouth, paused, and closed it. That COULD explain why Hanabi was so upset to begin with. If there had been someone he wanted, and then he was abruptly told that he had to marry his cousin, he would certainly not be happy about it. But Hanabi had said nothing to indicate this might be the case. Either there was no one else, or she just didn't want to tell him.

"Well?" Tenten pressed, still awaiting an answer.

"It's possible," Neji muttered, wondering how he would go about getting Hanabi to talk about this.

"And you're okay with this? Just... marrying her because someone told you to?" Tenten frowned and shook her head. "That's not like you, Neji-kun. It's not like you at all."

Neji stared at her, realizing, with some horror, that she was right. But what choice did he have? There would be no way to help Hanabi if he got himself disowned. Besides, if there were anything that could be done from outside the clan, Hinata would no doubt talk Gaara into it. She was not the bravest person around, but Neji knew with certainty that Hinata loved Hanabi unconditionally. Frankly, he was amazed that Hinata hadn't made some sort of attempt to contact either him or Hanabi yet.

"I'm suddenly very glad that I don't belong to a clan," Tenten said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sounds like a bunch of rules that make no sense at all, if you ask me."

Neji knew he should probably be defending his clan, but in that moment, he was reminded of all the rules that didn't make any sense to him, at the time or even now. His father was dead, and no one else but Gaara and Hinata seemed to be willing to recognize his sacrifice. There was a seal on his forehead that let everyone who saw it know that he was effectively a slave. And the only way to ensure that his children (child, he corrected himself bitterly, recalling Hanabi's words) would not suffer the same fate was to marry Hanabi, who he didn't love, and who most probably loved someone else herself.

After some thought, Neji seriously entertained the notion that maybe his future child would just as soon thank him for all the effort, and decide that it would rather not be born into such a mess as this. And, for the first time, he was quite inclined to agree.

* * *

Naruto did not consider himself a big fan of change. Granted, there had been many changes in his life over the years, and he generally had no control over that, but he found he was happiest when things roughly stayed the same. Therefore, he was still a little stunned, since he'd reached a turning point in the last few days, and for once, he had no problem with that.

Meeting Kisame had been a real eye-opener. Naruto was not stupid enough to consider Kisame a real friend, not with the way he'd introduced himself, and definitely not from the way Kyuubi had refused to run the risk of the shark man getting any of his demonic chakra. Still, part of Naruto saw that they had things in common, and they both seemed to appreciate those similarities. He had to admit that he wanted to like Kisame, and that was very dangerous, but there it was.

Perhaps it was because Kisame had helped him, even though they were apparently supposed to be enemies. By now, Naruto automatically suspected that everyone who approached him wanted the power of Kyuubi working for them. Nine times out of ten, he was exactly right. It was true for the Kazekage, it was true for Orochimaru, and it was true for Kisame, too. But Kisame was the only one who'd admitted it up front, and Naruto respected that.

The idea of being as strong as Kisame was… it was comforting. Sure, people would still try to control and manipulate him, but when you had that much power, saying no and being able to walk away in one piece got a lot easier. But Naruto didn't just want that power for his own sake. Once he reached that point, he could make the rules for himself, for Kin, and for Temari. He had seen the way his sister looked at her father (it was hard for Naruto to think of the Kazekage as anything but that), and it worried him. Everyone else that looked at the Kazekage that way was either dead or in prison. Even worse, Naruto was starting to suspect that if it ever came to that, Kankurou would side against them. He fought for his father and for his village, and he was intensely proud of that. Naruto couldn't really blame him, but he wasn't about to let that get in his way. It was Kankurou's life, and he could live it how he wanted, just so long as he didn't get in Naruto's way when it was time to leave.

Suna was okay, and to a certain extent, it was even home. But Naruto had come to realize that home wasn't really a physical location. If Temari had been in Konoha with him when he was a child, that would've been home, unpleasant as it had been.

The real problem, though, was that Naruto would never really be able to commit to a cause. He would always fear that someone wanted Kyuubi, and not him. Aside from that, he couldn't imagine Kyuubi being willing to fight for a cause that didn't directly benefit him in some way. But the demon had surprised him before, so there was only one way to be sure.

"Hey, fox," Naruto muttered as he laid down on his bed. "Who do you think I should trust?"

"Nobody, stupid," was Kyuubi's immediate reply. "Not even me."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks. I can see why everybody loves you. You're nothing but rainbows and sunshine."

"You don't live as long I have by trusting everybody that smiles at you, brat. Now are you going to be friendly, or are you going to be smart?"

Naruto groaned and closed his eyes. "So you're saying I should just go through life depending on nobody but myself."

"Worked for me," Kyuubi replied with a mental shrug. "At least until that damn Yondaime showed up..."

"What was he like? You never said," Naruto asked, suddenly realizing he didn't know much about the Sandaime's successor (and predecessor, technically).

Kyuubi thought for a few moments. "I only saw him once, and it didn't last long. And he was pretty pissed off at the time, so I don't know how accurate what I saw was. But now that I think about it, you look a little like him."

Naruto froze. "You never mentioned that."

"Probably doesn't mean anything, brat. Think about it: if the Yondaime had a kid, he'd be treated like royalty in Konoha. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that never happened to you, did it?"

"Guess you're right," Naruto sighed, closing his eyes. "He was probably too busy to have kids, anyway..."

"And he did die pretty young."

Naruto decided not to comment on the hint of smugness in the fox's tone. "I have to trust someone eventually, though."

"That sister of yours is okay... for a human."

"Yeah, I like her, too."

"Watch it, brat," Kyuubi growled. "I never said anything about liking her."

Naruto just grinned, deciding to let Kyuubi win this time before it started a serious argument. It made him happy to know that the fox had accepted Temari as part of their lives, though.

"What are you so happy about, huh?"

He looked at the doorway to see Temari standing there with Meg on her shoulder.

"Just things," Naruto answered as Meg flew across the room and landed on his head.

"Oh, keeping secrets from your favorite girls now?" Meg sniffed, sounding hurt.

"Kin-chan isn't here," Naruto replied, wincing as Meg bit his finger in retaliation.

"I'd bop you good for that if Meg wasn't on your head," Temari growled.

"I'd gladly move," Meg offered at once.

"I was kidding!" Naruto cried, grabbing Meg before she could fly away and holding her down on his head.

Temari smirked at him. "So then you wouldn't keep secrets from us… right?"

"Uh… depends on your definition of secrets, I think."

"Secrets," Temari said slowly, narrowing her eyes, "are things that cause your big sister to get really, REALLY mad at you when you keep them from her."

"And the same goes for your beloved pet and constant traveling companion!" Meg added. "So start talking!"

"About what?" Naruto asked weakly, though he had a very good idea of what they wanted to know.

"Everything about your little trip to the border," Temari answered, "including why Kin is so upset."

Naruto nearly came out with the old excuse of "she's a girl and you're a girl; you tell me," since he honestly wasn't sure what had gotten Kin so angry. Kisame holding her hostage she normally would've gotten over pretty quickly, so it was odd that she seemed to be having so much trouble moving on. "All I know is we met a shark man, he taught me some moves, I taught him some moves, and then he left. That's pretty much it. I got the impression I shouldn't give out his name, and it was probably fake, anyway. I guess Kin didn't like him too much, but she won't tell me why she's mad."

"A shark man in the desert?" Meg asked skeptically.

"Oh, he could summon water real easily, so it wasn't a problem," Naruto said. "Anyway, he was more man than shark… I guess. And he was really, REALLY strong. I figure if I train harder, maybe one day I'll be nearly as good as he was."

"Was he a ninja?" Temari asked after a long moment.

Naruto hesitated. "Uh… technically, no. He didn't belong to a village, and I didn't ask-"

"A missing-nin is still a ninja," Temari reminded him with a frown.

Naruto winced. "Okay, yeah, he was…"

"Just tell me he wasn't from the Sand. Well, he almost couldn't be if he was using water jutsu."

"No, he said it was his first time being that close to Suna."

Temari stared at him a little longer, but Naruto offered no more information, so she sighed. "Naruto… I'm not trying to be nosy. Okay, well, I AM, but you know why, don't you?"

He nodded, smiling a little. "You're worried about me, cuz that's your job as my big sister. I know, Temari, and I love you for it, but I'm fine, and-"

"You're strong, but if anything ever happened to you, and I couldn't help you, then-"

"You guys should just hug and get it over with," Meg interrupted. "Come on, group hug! Let's get mushy!"

"You must've been really lonely while I was gone, Meg," Naruto chuckled as he sat up. "Sorry I left you here, but I wanted some time alone with Kin-chan, and you're a little distracting."

"I wasn't lonely!" Meg protested. "I'm totally self-sufficient!"

"Then why were you in my bed every morning?" Temari asked as she slid her arm around Naruto's shoulders and tugged him against her.

"It's not my fault! You have really soft bed head! It's like falling asleep wrapped in silk!"

"Does sound pretty nice," Naruto agreed, grinning when Temari flicked his ear with her thumb. "You should grow it out so we can all sleep in your hair!"

Temari poked his neck. "Very funny. Now, how about you tell me everything you learned from your shark man?"

"Do I have to?" Naruto whined.

"Yes, you do. I might learn something, and even if I don't, I want to know what you've been up to."

* * *

_Land of Waves - March_

Just a few days ago, Yamanaka Ino's biggest problem had been how to get Shikamaru to take a more active interest in their relationship.

Today, it was how she would make it through the day with both her mind and body remaining mostly intact.

The mission to the Land of Waves had gone horribly wrong. The old bridge builder had lied about just how serious his situation was, that much was clear now. But Ino couldn't really hold that against Tazuna: he was dead, after all. After that, their mission had officially been a failure, so she and her teammates had foolishly assumed that the ambush by the combined group of mercenaries and Mist missing-nin would be over and done with.

They were so very wrong.

Momochi Zabuza, the leader of the group, and the one who had beheaded Tazuna right in front of them, had seen more value in their group. He had immediately grabbed Ino and threatened to kill her if the others didn't surrender. That would have been the most sensible option: they'd been outnumbered forty-one to four, and every opponent was at least chuunin level, according to Shikamaru's guess.

Ino had thought that her life was over. There was no way her team could stand up to such odds. But to her shock, they had all charged into battle, determined to save her. Chouji managed to hit a few men so hard that Ino had heard their bones breaking over their pained screams, but a deep sword wound in his side had downed him. Shikamaru strangled several foes with their own shadows, but he too had fallen when a hammer-wielding mercenary broke his arm, rendering his entire arsenal useless. Asuma had been the most impressive, fighting like a man possessed and killing over thirty of the attackers with his trench knives alone. Most made the mistake of trying to swarm him at the start, not realizing he didn't need to make physical contact to tear them apart.

And just when Asuma had defeated the last of Zabuza's henchmen and turned to deal with Zabuza himself, three senbon needles had come out of nowhere and slammed into his neck, dropping him instantly. Ino, believing her sensei to be dead, had screamed until Zabuza knocked her out.

She'd woken up in dimly lit cave with her hands and feet bound. Asuma was a few feet away, his arms and legs heavily chained to the wall. From the looks of him, he'd been stripped and beaten sometime after the battle. Several times a day, a beautiful young girl with long, black hair came to treat Asuma's wounds, though she only fed them twice a day. Ino could only assume that Zabuza had captured her as well, since the girl answered none of her questions.

It quickly became obvious that Ino was not the important prisoner. Even after his wounds healed for the most part, Asuma was given slightly more food. He always asked the girl to give Ino the bigger portion, which she did reluctantly and only sometimes. And when Zabuza came to inspect them, he would mockingly call Asuma names like "Hokage's brat" or "monkey boy."

During one of the times they were alone, Asuma quietly told Ino that he was, in fact, the Sandaime Hokage's son, and that was why they had been captured. When she asked why they had taken her as well, Asuma couldn't bring himself to tell her, and unfortunately, Ino figured it out on her own. The very thought brought her to tears, and Asuma's advice did little to comfort her.

"You need to decide what's most important to you, Ino. If you do what they say, you'll probably live longer. If you resist, they'll kill you."

As frightened and disgusted as she was, Ino feared death above all other things. So the first time that one of Zabuza's men came and dragged her away, she did not fight him... much.

That first time had been the worst. Ino had been too terrified to even remember that she was a kunoichi, and so she had done nothing but scream and cry until it was all over. After the man was done, the black-haired girl came in carefully cleaned Ino up, even giving her a change of clothes. But the soft touches in intimate areas only made Ino feel even dirtier, and she found that she could not stop trembling or meet the girl's warm brown eyes. In an apparent effort to help her calm down, the girl quietly introduced herself as Haku, and apologized for what had happened... and what would continue to happen.

Every time after that, Ino was somewhat prepared. While she could not perform any jutsu, her family had long been able to retreat within their own minds to avoid torture (she recalled it was one of the first things her father taught her, but it wasn't until now that she understood why, and was thankful), and fortunately, this skill required no hand seals or chakra. It only helped so much, however, because when Ino returned to her body, she still felt violated, and for some reason, Haku's touch always seemed to summon her back to consciousness, whether she wanted to return or not. Haku would sometimes try to distract her with stories of before she came to be in Zabuza's service. Ino couldn't care less about where Haku had come from, but was appreciative of anything that might take her mind off of where her own life had ended up.

Despite the situation, or even because of it, Ino came to think of Haku as a kindred spirit. Their conversations had started off as one-sided affairs with Haku doing all the talking, but Ino began to open up as her trust in Haku grew. Soon they were talking about her family, her teammates, and Sakura. Ino probably shouldn't have said much of anything, but it was hard not to. Haku seemed so interested in her, and Ino felt like she owed the girl for taking such good care of her.

Asuma didn't seem worried, though that was probably for her sake. He assured her that Shikamaru would know what to do in this situation. Ino had some doubts about that, but she chose to believe him. It wasn't as if things could get much worse, after all.

* * *

With deliberate slowness, Zabuza dipped his hands into the bowl of herbal balm, wincing as the aches in his fingers protested the action. He could barely remember the last time that handling a sword had hurt his hands to this degree. It was almost as if he were losing his touch.

Much as he hated it, this thought lingered in his head for several moments.

Before he could give the matter more thought, Haku was suddenly at his side, placing a new bowl of balm on the table in front of him.

"Is the balm not as effective this time?" Haku asked.

Zabuza grunted, staring blankly at the brown walls of their current safe house. "It's not that, Haku. You don't make those kind of mistakes anymore."

"I have... a theory," Haku offered hesitantly, ignoring the rare praise from his mentor. "I believe it explains all of your difficulties as of late."

Zabuza said nothing.

"You have broken your oath to Kubikiri Hocho."

Had Haku been anyone else, he might never have seen the bowl that missed his head by mere centimeters and practically exploded against the wall.

"We use up more balm that way," Haku pointed out with a sigh.

"I'm not in the mood, Haku," Zabuza growled, already reaching for the second bowl.

"I might have something to take your mind off of the pain." Haku walked over and gently drew his finger along Zabuza's wrist, leaving a long streak of red there.

Zabuza frowned. "What is this?" he demanded, growing suspicious.

"A new treatment. We recently obtained a large supply."

"This is blood," Zabuza insisted, his eyes narrowing.

"Is it?" Haku asked calmly. "I hadn't thought you would notice."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You manage to ignore her cries with ease. I wondered if it would be so easy with her blood on your hands."

Zabuza glared at him. "We've been over this before, Haku. Gato's men expect certain perks when things don't go as planned. We lost over half the men, and if all it takes to keep them in line is one girl-"

"Her name is Yamanaka Ino," Haku said coldly.

"It doesn't matter what her name is!" Zabuza snapped. "She's just a girl!"

"I was just a boy when you found me. How is this any different?"

"It isn't. You are a tool, and so is she. If you have problems with her function, find a replacement."

"You mean find another girl and expose her to the same torture."

Zabuza stood up, glaring down at Haku. "I don't ever recall implying that you were welcome to question me."

Haku stared back at him. "This isn't right, Zabuza. You know it isn't, and I'm not the only one that thinks so. Or have you just been imagining that your sword is getting heavier?"

Zabuza chose not to comment on the sudden lack of respect in Haku's address; he'd gotten far too used to being called "Zabuza-sama" in their time together. From all indications, he wouldn't have to worry about that any longer. "The sword is mine, as is the decision. We will not speak of this again, Haku."

"No, I suppose we won't," Haku replied slowly. He gazed at Zabuza for a few more seconds before walking out.

Zabuza cursed under his breath and turned away, deciding that Haku could not have chosen a worse time to go soft on him again. His gaze landed on the sword resting against the wall. He began to reach for it, hesitated, and then firmly seized the hilt.

Nothing happened.

He was just about to relax when he heard the voice.

"You have forgotten me, Zabuza, and when you need me most, I will have forgotten you."

Jerking his hand away from the sword, Zabuza cursed again and stomped out of the room. Perhaps, he thought to himself, it was time he started making his own damn balm again.

* * *

If asked why he occasionally dressed like a girl, Haku could provide a whole list of reasons, most of them true to some extent. It certainly helped him move about without drawing suspicion, although sometimes being a beautiful girl drew the wrong type of attention, but Haku was more than capable of handling that, too. People were more inclined to help pretty girls, and Haku chose not to question the reasons; he just reaped the benefits when it suited him.

Today, for example, he was collecting herbs in the forest, and that was something females were typically skilled in. There were males who might do the same, but none of them lived in the Land of Waves, so doing this as himself definitely would've been suspicious.

Fortunately, only the birds had taken an interest in his business so far, and Haku had nearly filled his basket when he noticed something odd.

There was a small black cat several feet away from him, sitting at the base of a tree, in plain view of himself and the birds. But oddly enough, the birds did not scatter, and like Haku himself, the cat gave them no reason to.

It was not odd to come across stray cats in the Land of Waves, though. There were fish, after all, and the people were poor, but not so poor that some wouldn't occasionally share fish or milk with a hungry feline. But nearly all of those cats stayed near the village for that very reason, with only a few venturing into the forest… and those came exclusively for the birds.

But this cat had not come in search of food, Haku knew at once. It was not noticeably thin or fat, and there was no hunger in its eyes, nor did it seem interested in hunting for sport. From the way it had so suddenly appeared, without him noticing its approach, and from the way it was staring at him, Haku could come to only one conclusion: the cat was here for him.

Curious but wary, Haku slowly moved toward the cat. He had every reason to turn around and go back, though. Ino needed the herbs he had picked, and he hated the thought of not being there to comfort her, should the men decide to have their way with her again. Still, for some reason, the cat seemed important enough to delay his return for just a few minutes.

"How badly hurt is your friend?" asked a voice above him.

Haku froze, his eyes widening in surprise as he became aware of a blond girl sitting on a tree branch above him. Though he could not remember looking at the tree before, he was almost certain that she hadn't been there mere seconds ago. "Not seriously," he said slowly, "but she gets hurt quite a bit."

"I used to be like that," the girl murmured, a wistful look on her face. "I think having a cat helped me grow out of it."

"How so?"

She shrugged. "When someone really needs you, you just have to step up and get past your usual limitations. I guess I just figured out that if something happened to me, there'd be no one to look after my poor cat."

"You live for your cat," Haku said, a strange expression on his face.

"She's a really good cat," the girl replied, a bit defensively. "What would happen to your friend, if you weren't around to look after her?"

"I don't dare think about it."

"So you do understand. I thought you might. You have a noble heart."

Haku frowned. "What makes you think so?"

"I can just see it," she replied, her golden eyes flashing. "Your friend is very lucky to have you."

"Actually, I think she'd be better off if we'd never met," Haku whispered.

"Really? Would you have reached this point in your life, without her depending on you? Where would she be without her guardian angel?"

Haku was becoming more uncomfortable by the moment, but not because this girl seemed to know things about him. He was far more disturbed by her insistence that he was a good person. There was a time when he had been able to justify the terrible things he did as repayment for Zabuza's giving him a purpose. But Zabuza was now going down a path that Haku could not convince himself to follow, and yet he was not defiant enough to simply take Ino back to her teammates.

"Haku, you do know that loyalty is only a valid excuse when the person you're being loyal to deserves it?"

"How do you know my name?" Haku demanded, already reaching for the senbon tucked in his basket.

The girl smiled. "It is within my power to know… just as it is within your power to save your friend from a miserable existence. You don't need to worry about me, though. I have no intention of causing trouble for you."

"I'm sure you understand that I can't take that risk," Haku replied as he launched three senbon at her neck.

The girl sighed as the senbon passed right through her and sank into the bark of the tree. "I'm going to forgive that because I know you're in a difficult position right now, but do that again and my cat might take offense. Now, I think you should be getting back to Ino soon. Something tells me she could use a friend right now."

Before Haku could stop her (although he now had his doubts as to whether she was even really there in the first place), the girl vanished. Her cat soon followed, but not before shooting Haku a dirty look.

For his part, Haku simply headed back to the cave. The strange girl had not been wearing a headband, but he was almost certain that she had to be a kunoichi. Ino had not mentioned any friends other than her teammates and Sakura, and the girl was clearly neither. He also ruled out her being a Leaf-nin, since she apparently wasn't going to do much to help Ino or Asuma. But that only left him with more questions as to who she was, and why she was there.

* * *

Though she probably should have, Hanabi had never been too worried about being kidnapped. For one thing, the last would-be kidnapper that made it into the Hyuuga compound was killed on sight, and for another, Hanabi secretly prided herself on being so insufferable that no one would even want to kidnap her unless they absolutely had no other choice (which they did, with Hinata around). But she tolerated the Branch House guards that accompanied her every time she left home, if only because she was confident, but not stupid.

However, either because the guards weren't enthusiastic about their duty, or because they simply weren't good enough at it, when there finally was a kidnapping attempt, it was all too successful.

One moment, Hanabi had been walking between two guards, and the next, all three had been yanked off the street and into an abandoned apartment, their bodies instantly encased in stone up to their necks. Her guards were quickly knocked out with sharp blows to their necks, and the only reason Hanabi wasn't alarmed was because the smirking face of Uchiha Sasuke drifted out of the shadows, followed by Gaara and Hinata.

"You can let her go now, Sasuke-kun," Hinata said, once it became apparent that Sasuke intended to do no such thing.

Sasuke sighed. "Do I have to?"

Hinata cuffed him lightly on the arm. "Yes!"

Scowling, Sasuke gestured slightly at Hanabi, and the rocks fell off of her at once.

Hanabi was seriously considering if she might be fast enough to throw one or two rocks at Sasuke before he could dodge. But before she could turn thought into action, Hinata was suddenly hugging her tightly (not to mention completely blocking her view of Sasuke).

"I've missed you so much, Hanabi-chan," Hinata murmured, dropping a kiss on her sister's forehead. It was only then that she noticed the blue strip of cloth Hanabi was wearing there. "Wait… that isn't-"

"It isn't," Hanabi confirmed, pushing Hinata back gently but firmly. "But it's still my business, and not yours, onee-chan."

"Hanabi-chan," Hinata whispered, the hurt obvious in her voice. "You don't trust me?"

Hanabi scowled at her. "Pout all you want, but it's useless. I do trust you, but it's easier when you don't know anything. Anyway, there isn't anyone I would tell everything to; that's just asking for trouble."

"I suppose you have a point," Hinata sighed.

"I always do. Now is there something you wanted, or did you just kidnap me to prove you could?"

"Both," Sasuke called from across the room, where he was decorating the two guards with large signs that claimed Hinata had knocked them out.

Hinata pointedly ignored him. "We're going to be leaving on a mission tonight. If anything happens-"

"If you brought me here," Hanabi interrupted angrily, "because you think this might be the last time we see each other, I am going to hit you. And if you are so foolish as to die, then I am going to dig you up and THEN hit you."

Hinata blinked, uncertain how to respond to that.

Hanabi sighed, firmly seizing Hinata's head and glaring directly into her eyes. "You don't want me to hit you, onee-chan. So just come back, and then I won't have to. I'll even let you have Neji if you somehow manage to lose the Uchiha somewhere along the way."

"I'll be careful," was all Hinata could respond with as she hugged Hanabi again.

"Fine. And that's the wrong sword," Hanabi replied, tapping the sword Hinata wore at her side.

"What?" Hinata pulled back to see Hanabi frowning at the sword she'd been training with. It had several previous owners, and was very light, but Tenten had given her a great price for it. Hinata still wasn't all that good with it, but she was trying.

"This isn't the sword you should have," Hanabi insisted.

"You weren't very specific," Hinata reminded her.

"Well, get another one!"

"Why don't you just GIVE me the one you think I should have?"

"I don't have it!"

"So how I am supposed to get it?"

"I don't know!"

Hinata closed her eyes and counted to three in her head. "Hanabi-chan. You know I love you, and I would never threaten you unless you deserved it, but if you don't start making some sense, I am going to hit YOU."

Oddly enough, Hanabi smiled at her. "Well, at least you've got the right attitude. Now you just need-"

"A sword, which I have no idea how to get."

"Right."

Hinata hugged Hanabi a third time.

"Now what are you doing?"

"Reminding myself that I love you and REALLY don't want to hit you."

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "You finally show a spark of promise, and then you have to go and ruin it. Is there anything else that you wanted?"

"Actually, um, yes," Hinata said, seeming hesitant as she looked over her shoulder. "I'm done, taichou."

Gaara walked over to them, and Hinata quickly excused herself, running over to make sure that Sasuke wasn't having too much fun at the guards' expense.

Hanabi stared at Gaara expectantly. "Well?"

"I am… supposed to congratulate you," Gaara said at last, clearly confused. "On your impending marriage."

The color drained out of Hanabi's face. "Please. Don't," she whispered.

Gaara nodded, very much relieved. "I don't expect we will see each other until the chuunin exams. Have you decided on what you wish me to do?"

Hanabi blinked slowly. "Do?"

"As you usually take great pleasure in reminding me, I owe you."

"Oh. That. No, not yet. I'm still… thinking about it," she lied, forcing a strained smile.

Gaara either didn't notice her discomfort, or simply chose not to comment on it as he turned away. "Sasuke. Hinata. We're going. I want to be on the road when the sun sets."

Hinata hesitated as she prepared to follow her teammates out. "Hanabi-chan, I-"

"Onee-chan," Hanabi interrupted with a weary look, "I am well aware that you love me. I am not, nor have I ever been, deaf, and I heard you quite well the first few thousand times you said as much. Just go-"

"Before you hit me?" Hinata asked, smiling at her.

"Don't tempt me."

Hinata waved before hurrying out of the apartment, leaving Hanabi alone with her thoughts (and two unconscious guards).

"I wanted you to save me from my family, too, Gaara," Hanabi whispered, "but I have no right to ask…"

**End of Chapter 15.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Gaara's team heads for the Land of Waves. Kankurou makes a choice. Orochimaru talks to a former/current partner. Iruka and Tayuya have a moment, sort of. Naruto makes two new friends. Shikamaru suspects that Yugito isn't being honest. Ino and Haku discuss what it means to be without purpose.

Endnotes:

To be clear, the force that Zabuza is leading are the same men that Gato normally would've hired to betray him (and still might, for that matter). But the bounties on the 12 Guard Ninja of Fire are very large, which makes them very valuable, if you can manage to catch one. Zabuza knows that, and so does Gato, and they're both in it for the money.

I've seen pictures of Yugito, but most have been black and white, so I don't really know anything about the color of her hair, skin, or eyes. I assume she has blond hair, and for the purposes of this story, I'm using golden eyes, at least some of the time.

Someone asked about Kankurou. You probably shouldn't have done that, because it gave me an evil idea on what to do with him…


	16. Friends and Allies

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 16: Allies and Friends**

* * *

_Konoha - Hyuuga Compound - March_

Being dead was not so very different from being alive, in Hyuuga Hotaru's mind. Really, it just meant that a whole other group didn't associate with you, while another group did almost exclusively. Perhaps the biggest difference was the ability to latch onto a living person. Depending on the spirit, this could benefit or harm the person, though Hotaru knew of very few spirits who hated anyone living enough to haunt instead of help.

Most of her relatives had chosen to linger on, either selecting a clan member or friend to assist, or just hanging around the compound to be among familiar faces, and possibly be of use to someone. Even among the dead, it was crowded enough to keep busy, so it was not as lonely as one might have thought. Hotaru particularly enjoyed comparing stories about her daughters with her sisters, who of course had stories about their own children. It was strange, but being dead gave them a certain freedom they'd never possessed while alive. They didn't have to worry about rules and proper behavior, at least those that had died young didn't. The men joked, the women laughed, and the children played without fear of punishment. It was a wonderful world, and it was a true shame that most Hyuuga would never know that they moved through it daily until they had experienced death as well.

Hotaru was one of many spirits who could influence the living world, both through sheer force of will, and using other spirits as her agents. It helped immensely that both Hinata and Hanabi's souls still called out to her, unconsciously or otherwise. Like any mother, Hotaru was capable of great things, in the moments she was convinced that her "babies" needed her. It worried her, how often she'd had to stay Hiashi's hand where Hinata's fate was concerned. It had never been easy to change his mind, and most times she had only been able to postpone the inevitable. If not for Uchiha Sasuke, Hinata might have been lost to her, and to Hanabi as well. Certainly, the boy had his own problems, but she liked to think of him as a work in progress.

Still, in a way, Hinata had been easy to work with. She had more instances that required Hotaru's assistance, but perhaps because of that, she was easier to influence. If she had ever suspected that someone might be guiding her, she gave no sign, and didn't resist at all.

Hanabi was another matter entirely. She greatly disliked being controlled, and it was that much harder, since she could see Hotaru and the other spirits. Hotaru could appreciate that, but Hanabi was also still reluctant to take her advice, since it was too much like being told what to do. Instead, Hanabi put all of her faith into her visions, which was both understandable and sad. She needed someone other than Hinata to trust in, and if Neji did not become that person soon enough, Hanabi could grow into a very lonely woman all too soon.

There was one other person who Hanabi was willing to trust, but that would be a challenge, even for Hotaru. She'd had several conversations with Karura, but most of those had been about Gaara's friendship with Hinata. It was only lately that they had begun to discuss Hanabi, and the idea that her childhood crush was no longer so childish, or just a mere crush, for that matter. This only became a bigger issue when Hanabi apparently had a vision of herself becoming Gaara's wife, although she was strangely tightlipped about the details.

Neither Karura nor Hotaru had a problem with that, except that Gaara had for all intents and purposes chosen Ayame, and Hanabi was supposed to be marrying Neji. Gaara had yet to give any sign that he saw Hanabi as anything other than a friend, and Hanabi's usual determination to get what she wanted was strangely lacking when it came to Gaara. Perhaps she expected him to resist, or for some reason just doubted herself. Either way, both mothers sensed that meddling would not be helpful or appreciated when their respective children were so very stubborn by nature.

However, Hotaru couldn't just leave it at that. Her daughter's happiness was on the line, and what kind of mother would she be if that weren't important to her? Just because she couldn't do anything herself didn't mean she couldn't give Hanabi a little nudge in the right direction, or at the very least a little encouragement. The real stumper was how to do so without Hanabi taking it the wrong way.

This was just one of many things on Hotaru's mind as she paced (as much as a spirit could, anyway) back and forth in Hanabi's bedroom. They had agreed that it wasn't necessary (or allowed) for her to ALWAYS be with Hanabi, and when they did need to communicate, they would simply meet there. Hotaru thought of Hinata, who was away on a mission, but convinced herself not to worry. She had spoken briefly to Shisui, who admitted that he had nothing better to do than follow Sasuke around, and of course Karura and Yashamaru were going, so that was taken care of.

The door slid open behind her, and Hotaru turned, fully expecting to find Hanabi in one of her moods. Instead, she got Neji, who did not look at all surprised that Hanabi was not present. But then, why should he? Just because it was supposedly frowned upon to peer into someone's quarters with the Byakugan didn't mean it wasn't done all the time, and Neji was obviously planning to come in whether Hanabi was there or not. In fact, it almost seemed like he was glad that she wasn't there...

Hotaru forced that thought from her mind quickly, wanting to believe the best about Neji. No matter how much he had changed, this was still the same darling baby boy she had once bounced on her knee. At least, he was in her mind and heart, just as Hizashi would always be the grinning scamp that chased her through the gardens, threatening to tickle her until she howled with laughter.

Neji scanned the room, obviously searching for something. His gaze landed on the stuffed bear sitting almost reverently on Hanabi's pillow. Eventually, he looked away, but the bear continued to draw his attention until he finally gave in to his curiosity, and stepped closer to investigate.

Hotaru merely watched, not saying or doing anything. Hanabi would not be happy if she found out that Neji had entered her room without permission, but so long as he didn't actually do anything, Hotaru saw no reason to upset her needlessly.

It was then that Neji stretched out his hand to touch the bear.

It didn't matter that Hotaru could sense no malice in him. It didn't even matter that he would probably just pick up the bear, look at it, and then put it back. All that mattered was that he was about to touch something precious to Hanabi, and might, unintentionally or otherwise, damage it. With a speed she hadn't known she possessed, Hotaru launched herself at Neji, striking his hand while it was still mere inches away.

She wasn't positive what Neji felt, or what he would think. But he did quickly withdraw his hand, and even glanced around the room warily, before practically running out.

* * *

_Island Near the Land of Waves - March_

Hinata suspected that she should be nervous, but it was difficult to manage. Despite the facts that none of them had ever been to the Land of Waves, and only Gaara had left Konoha for an extended mission, they were all more or less comfortable. Each member of the team knew his or her place, and so long as Hinata could see Gaara ahead of her, and sense Sasuke behind her, there was no need to be overly concerned.

The terrain had shifted from dense forest to misty marsh as they crossed the first island, but Gaara had barely even slowed down. At times, Hinata still had trouble understanding how someone who rarely moved at all when he fought could be so very fast, but she imagined that Gaara constantly reserved his true strength until he really needed it.

With no warning, Gaara came to a stop beside a fallen, rotten log in the path, and by the time Hinata caught up to him, she could see that he was studying a map. By the time she figured out where they were on it, Sasuke was standing beside her, shaking some moss from his ninja sandals. Hinata allowed her eyes to wander up and down his slim but tightly muscled form with almost no guilt. She knew that dressing entirely in black had strategic purposes, but only now could she appreciate why Anko had thought it would be kinky.

Sasuke adored black (not that he would use that word, mind you), and had already owned plenty of matching sets of short-sleeved shirts and shorts when the idea came up. Hinata had been the only one that had to go out and buy new clothing (Gaara had mysteriously obtained black outfits that covered everything but his head, probably "borrowed" from some late Uchiha), since Anko's hand-me-downs had been too racy for her tastes, and wearing Sasuke's clothes was something that Hinata was only comfortable with in private. She had learned that lesson the hard way when Anko developed the annoying habit of bursting into their room at ungodly hours for unannounced training sessions.

In the end, Hinata had compromised for her mission outfits: basically, Sasuke's style over Anko's net shirts and pants (although Hinata hesitated to call them actual clothing, or even dental floss, for that matter). It was both functional and strangely freeing, and it didn't hurt that she would occasionally catch Sasuke staring at her as if he wished for her Byakugan. Hinata didn't mind, since she was allowed to stare right back.

"We split up here," Gaara announced suddenly.

Hinata blinked and turned to Gaara as he stepped closer to them, stretching out the map so all three of them could see it.

"I will circle the island's left side and head towards these caves, where the hostages are thought to be held. You two proceed directly to the island. Sasuke, you will locate any enemy bases where the hostages could conceivably be moved. Hinata, you will locate Tazuna's house and make contact with Team 10. Heal Shikamaru and Chouji only if you can make them battle ready without straining yourself. It is far too likely that each of us will have to fight remnants of Zabuza's forces, and we must be at our best."

"You won't forget Ino, taichou?" Hinata asked, staring at him intently.

"No," Gaara answered, a bit grudgingly. "I will not."

Sasuke shifted his weight, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Look for small patches of singed grass, or bent cigarettes."

Gaara looked at him. "Why?"

"It's Asuma's signal," Sasuke muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I just remembered. It's one of the things he taught me when we trained together. He'd do that... if he was able to, at the time."

Hinata reached over and brushed her fingers against his, and Sasuke squeezed her hand tightly for just an instant. He'd never admit it, but his brief contact with the man had made Asuma something of a father figure, and if he died, it would be one more death that Sasuke would have to add to the mountain of pain and loss that he was already sitting on.

"One last thing," Gaara said as he rolled up the map. "Don't die, unless you want this island and everyone on it to follow you in death."

"You do remember what the Sandaime said about Shukaku?" Hinata asked.

Gaara just stared at her. "Who said I would need Shukaku to do it?" he asked, sounding insulted.

* * *

_Suna - Training Area - March_

Kin was in a bad mood.

Orochimaru hadn't reacted well to her news about Kisame. Well, that was putting it rather simply. He hadn't shouted, or even raised his voice at all. Unfortunately, that was one of the times when Orochimaru was at his most dangerous, so it was no real comfort. What he had done was tell Kin, in no uncertain words, that she was to stick to Naruto like glue from now on. Anywhere he went, she went.

It was funny, though. Orochimaru didn't seem at all surprised that Kisame had shown up. He just seemed annoyed that Naruto had gotten along so well with Kisame. Kin hadn't dared to ask why, though.

In truth, Kin didn't mind spending time with Naruto. He was nice (when he wasn't being overly possessive about her), he respected her (more than most people did, anyway), and he listened when she talked. The problem came in when Naruto actually realized that she was trying to spend more time with him. Being a boy, he assumed this was for the wrong reason, and Kin didn't have the heart to correct him. They had been "fighting" for a while, or at least Kin had been avoiding him, and now that she wasn't (or couldn't), Naruto thought she wanted to be close again.

At any rate, they were spending more time together, but Kin wasn't happy about it. She liked Naruto, but she didn't like being forced into spending time with him. Occasionally, she liked the option of saying "no" just like any other girl. If Naruto noticed that her mood hadn't exactly improved, he didn't say anything; he was just happy to have her around again.

One of the bad things about Naruto was his schedule, which gave new meaning to the phrase "ungodly hours." If Naruto slept, it was never for more than a few hours at a time, and if he didn't, that was even worse for anyone trying to keep up with him all day. Kin had actually considered stabbing him in the foot just to slow him down (if only for a few minutes, with the way he healed). Temari finally took pity on her and had another bed crammed into their room, just so Kin could stay close to Naruto. It didn't help all that much, since it seemed like whenever Kin started to drift off, Naruto was shaking her awake, ready to go somewhere else.

Kin knew that Naruto only had this inhuman stamina because of Kyuubi, and it just gave her another reason to hate the demon fox. But all she could do was keep her mouth shut and keep dragging herself after Naruto (or have a group of his clones carry her, which was surprisingly comfortable).

But there was another animal constantly giving Naruto a reason to train, too: Meg. She insisted that "her kid" would not become a mindless brute, and kept dragging (figuratively, anyway) Naruto out of bed for early morning training trips into the desert. Kin could see no purpose to them, at first: all Meg really had Naruto do was practice summoning her. Admittedly, he never had to, since she was always around, so he was a little rusty.

And the next thing Kin knew, she woke up in a training area one day, only to find that Naruto had three white weasels instead of the expected one. Meg had taken up her preferred perch on his head, and the other two were sitting on his shoulders.

"Uh, did I miss something?" Kin asked, wincing at the thought of what Orochimaru would do to her if she couldn't explain this in GREAT detail during her next report.

"Yup!" Meg replied happily. "Kin, these are my little sisters, Shiden and Seikon."

"HI!" one of the new weasels chirped excitedly, and Kin jumped back as a purple blur flew around her head before coming to a stop on her arm. Before she had a chance to recover, a high-pitched voice was talking rapidly in her ear. "You smell nice! What kind of soap do you use? Can I have some? Or would it not work for weasels? Sometimes stuff like that gets stuck in my fur, and then I just have to-"

"Shiden," Meg sighed, shaking her head. "Down, girl."

"Isn't she funny?" Naruto asked, grinning as he picked up Shiden. "She just keeps going until you interrupt her."

"Unfortunately," Seikon groaned. "Please stop encouraging her, Naruto-kun. She really doesn't need the help."

Kin frowned as she got a really good look at the new weasels. What stood out most of all were their Sand bandanas. Shiden's was a very bright purple, while Seikon's was an odd bluish-green. Upon closer inspection, she saw that some of the fur on Shiden's back was also tinted to match her bandana, both of which no doubt contributed to the purple blur she'd been just a minute ago. That bothered Kin, because she'd never even seen Meg move that fast, and Meg was fast by anyone's standards when she needed to be. And if Meg had waited this long before teaching Naruto to summon her sisters, they were almost certainly more powerful than her.

"So," Kin said slowly, "what is Naruto-kun doing that he needs three weasels for?"

"Well, nothing, yet," Meg admitted. "But that's only because I've just introduced them. Now we can start working on the most perfect group attack ever invented!"

Seikon grunted. "So Naruto-kun can control fire, then? I didn't ever think we'd find another flame user."

"Why is fire important?" Naruto asked.

"It's the missing element from our group attack!" Shiden said at once. "You know, wind, water, lightning, fire! So now-"

"What about earth?" Kin asked.

All three weasels stared at her blankly.

"What? Earth is an element, too!"

"Well, yeah," Shiden admitted, speaking as slowly as Kin had heard her yet, "but it's BORING!"

"Aside from that," Seikon added, "earth is heavy, and we are still weasels, you know. It's very difficult to fly with rocks and dirt weighing you down, and that would completely defeat the purpose. What good is a flying attack if even one of you is on the ground?"

"Anyway," Meg chimed in, "there's just the three of us, and earth and fire are the only elements that none of us are good at. Our last master was a fire user, so we at least know something about it. That's why we need Naruto to add fire to the attack."

"Hmm," Kin murmured. "What's this group attack called?"

"Oh, it's the-" Shiden began excitedly.

"TOP SECRET!" Meg and Seikon shouted.

"Oh, right. Sorry!" Shiden squeaked.

"What, you guys don't trust me?" Kin asked, trying her best to sound offended.

"Hey, Kin-chan's okay," Naruto added. "Right, Meg?"

"Sorry, Naruto, and you, too, Kin," Meg apologized. "But this move isn't something we show anyone, other than our masters and their greatest opponents. So unless you two break up, and Kin dedicates her life to killing Naruto, it's not gonna happen. Believe me, it's nothing personal, but this is a big part of the Kamaitachi Code of Battle."

"It's # 95!" Shiden chimed in. "It's all about the bond between a weasel squad and their master, and-"

"We've already said too much," Seikon interrupted, staring coolly at Kin. "It's not that we won't trust you with this secret. It's that we won't trust ANYONE with it. I'm sure you understand. There must be plenty that you haven't told Naruto-kun. Right?"

Kin really didn't like the way Seikon was staring at her, but did her best not to show it. "So? Everyone has their secrets, especially ninja!"

"Then I trust you will respect that this secret must remain between us and Naruto-kun," Seikon replied smoothly. "As such, we must ask you to leave now."

Orochimaru had accepted that Kin had been powerless against Kisame. But Kin seriously doubted he would accept that she'd been scared off by a weasel... unless said weasel happened to be Kisame's partner.

"No."

Seikon sighed. "Very well. Shiden?"

Shiden perked up at once. "Yeah, Kon-kon?"

"Deal with her."

"Aw, really? She seems nice enough..."

"This is not up for discussion, Shiden. She is disrespecting the Kamaitachi Code!"

Any traces of regret faded from Shiden's tone at once. "Oh. Well, that's different."

And the next thing Kin knew, her vision was filled once again with a purple blur, and then she knew nothing at all.

* * *

Kankurou had noticed that major events in his life always seemed to revolve around control. 

From birth, he had been under his father's control. This had not been pleasant, but then shinobi life rarely was.

Then Gaara had come along, and no one had been able to control him, so he was cast out.

Then came Naruto, who was probably even more powerful, but allowed himself to be controlled, simply because he was given a home, and a sister.

All of this led Kankurou to the inevitable conclusion that the only way to take control was to gain power. He was tired of seeing more powerful people get their way and make the rules, for himself and for everyone else. On some level, he accepted that he might never be the most powerful, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to move up a couple of rungs on the ladder.

He was tired of being a puppet, and he was ready to become the puppet master, or at least one of them.

The day that Karasu suddenly came to life, seemingly on its own, and offered him a once in a lifetime chance at power, Kankurou had not hesitated. He had simply packed up his puppets, and followed Karasu's directions until he found a system of underground tunnels deep beneath the village. He'd walked for what seemed like days (it was most probably just a genjutsu trick), until he found himself at the feet of his new master.

The man never gave his name, and Kankurou did not need to ask for it. There was only one puppet master alive who could be so skilled, and so familiar with Suna to slip in and out undetected.

This was how Kankurou came to be in the service of Sasori of the Red Sand.

* * *

_Sound Desert Base - Orochimaru's Office - March_

"I'm telling you, boss, that fucking seal ain't working!" Tayuya growled as she stomped back and forth in front of Orochimaru's desk.

Orochimaru chuckled. "Now, now, Tayuya-chan," he said in a soothing tone. "I think it just isn't working the way you want it to."

"But that fucker isn't doing ANYTHING I tell him to!"

"Oh? Like what?"

"He won't leave me alone when I tell him to get lost, he keeps bringing me things I don't want, and the perv WATCHES me SLEEP!"

"It sounds to me," Orochimaru said with a smirk, "like he's completely devoted to you, or completely obsessed. Either is fine for our purposes."

"But he's so damn ANNOYING!" Tayuya wailed.

"That may be, but he hasn't actually done anything worth punishing. For example, do you know what he's doing right now?"

Tayuya fell silent as she watched Orochimaru take out a crystal ball and place it on his desk. She was not surprised to see Iruka in it, but she was surprised to see who he was with. "But... that FUCKER! HE STOLE MY DEMONS!"

"He merely has power over them," Orochimaru corrected. "And why shouldn't he? He commands them in your name, Tayuya-chan. It's all to make you happy."

Sure enough, Iruka was out in the desert, dodging the blows of the two demons he hadn't ruined... and fairing pretty well, considering how the last fight had gone. Tayuya couldn't help noticing how gracefully he moved, as if he were completely unconcerned about every motion and was just taking his time. It still made her angry, though. He could've at least ASKED first, even if she would've refused. For someone who was supposed to be making her happy, he was doing a pretty good job of pissing her off.

And then Iruka seemed to slip, and Sanrei's club nearly beheaded him. He stumbled out of the way, directly into the path of Dojin's claws, and dodged just in time to have the old scar across his nose reopened.

Tayuya should have been smirking in triumph, but instead, she found her heart was pounding. "He nearly died," she whispered.

"All for you," Orochimaru said quietly, watching her closely.

"It... it's not supposed to BE this way," she insisted weakly. "I'm not... supposed to care about..." Tayuya bit her lip sharply. "Dumb fucker..." she muttered, walking slowly out of the office.

In the crystal ball, Iruka wiped away the blood, grinned, and complimented the demons on a good job. They mostly just stared at him, but since they didn't continue the attack until he was ready, it was easy to imagine that they might be accepting the praise.

Behind his desk, Orochimaru merely leaned back in his chair... and smiled.

"You always did enjoy your toys, Orochimaru," said a quiet voice behind him.

Orochimaru chuckled softly as he stood up and turned to face his guest, a hulking figure in a black and red cloak that drifted out of the shadows. "As did you. Welcome, my old friend. Have you finally come to kill me?"

The man (if he was indeed human, that is) shook his head. "I've told you several times now: I will not be the one."

Smiling, Orochimaru deliberately turned his back. "It wouldn't be the first time you had lied to me, Sasori-kun."

"No, it would not," Sasori agreed readily enough. "But consider this, and our little agreement, an oath between former comrades. I will do you the professional courtesy of warning you when we can no longer do business together."

"You always were an excellent partner, Sasori-kun. If things had been different, I would have gladly offered you a role in my organization. But I suppose that really would've been a conflict of interest."

"It was not exactly easy to convince the leader to allow this. Even I had some trouble accepting the idea that you were far more cooperative once you were outside of the group."

"Itachi-kun and I were never going to see eye to eye," Orochimaru replied. "If nothing else, we both had differing plans for Sasuke-kun, and neither one was willing to let the other have him. I suppose it was my fault for... insisting, though."

"You're lucky it only cost you an arm," Sasori noted. "From what I've seen, Itachi hates his brother, but he's still very touchy about who he allows to punish the boy. I'd be careful if you still have your eye on him, deal or no deal. Itachi does not forgive the same wrong twice, and I seem to recall that he didn't even forgive you the one time."

"You don't become one of the Sannin by backing down from challenges, Sasori-kun," Orochimaru reminded him with a smile. "If Itachi-kun feels the need to come after me again, then by all means, let him. He may powerful, but power does not always translate into victory. If he does not know that yet, then I will gladly teach him."

* * *

_Land of Waves - Tazuna's House - March_

Shikamaru did not always act on his instincts, but he always trusted them.

As he and his teammates had stood before the Hokage, being briefed on their latest mission, he had gotten a bad feeling. He knew that Asuma believed they all had great potential, and was searching for just the right thing to bring it out. Under other circumstances, it would have been this mission.

But Shikamaru no longer cared about their potential, the mission, or even what Asuma thought of him. All he cared about was saving Ino and Asuma, and killing Zabuza.

Maybe Chouji was still confused about why Ino had been taken, but there had never been a doubt in Shikamaru's mind. Asuma had been the target, and Ino was just a bonus. And if they'd hurt her the way he knew they would if given the chance, then death was the least that they deserved.

It wasn't just Ino's dreams they had ruined, after all. Maybe Shikamaru had never been crazy about Ino, but he'd still intended to marry her one day, and give her a quiet but enjoyable life. She was his friend if nothing else, and she deserved that much and more. Even if Ino were returned to them, her dreams would be changed at the least, shattered at the most. And if Shikamaru was still in them, he doubted he'd have the same role as before.

All was not lost, however. Shikamaru still had one good arm. Normally, that wouldn't mean very much, and if Shikamaru had not been a genius, it definitely wouldn't. The day after his injury, he had mentally pictured every hand seal he knew. He imagined the exact positions of each finger for every seal, what each position meant to each overall seal, and how they all interwove to create specific jutsu.

By the next day, he was performing his clan techniques with one-handed seals, and the day after that, nearly every other jutsu that he knew.

The only reason that Shikamaru didn't go after Zabuza then and there was because he needed more than just this new skill to win, let alone survive the encounter. Chouji's wound healed fast, at least on the outside, but a solid blow to the same area would take him out of a fight with frightening ease. There was no way the two of them would do anything more than get themselves and Ino killed if they tried to rescue her.

They were both fortunate that Tazuna's daughter Tsunami was far more forgiving than the old man had claimed. Perhaps she would've turned them away if they hadn't at least tried to protect Tazuna, but Shikamaru doubted it. Tsunami had a kind heart, and she'd agreed to let them rest and recover in her home even before they told her about Ino and Asuma.

There was only one thing about Tsunami's home that bothered Shikamaru, and it wasn't her son Inari, troublesome as he was: it was her daughter, Yugito. At least, Tsunami had introduced the girl as her daughter, but Shikamaru didn't believe that for a second. Yugito seemed terribly out of place in the home: she insisted on doing all of the household chores, and after doing all those, not only was she not tired, but she still found time to care for Shikamaru and Chouji. Shikamaru had to admit that her care had a lot to do with how fast they were recovering, but that was exactly why he didn't trust her. Yugito hadn't done anything obvious yet, but he was almost certain that she was a kunoichi, and that she hadn't come from Konoha. It wouldn't do any good to confront her, though: she was helping them, and she could easily stop or even kill them if they gave her reason to. He was sure that Yugito wasn't with Zabuza and Gato, though, as she had openly called Gato a "rat fink."

Still, Shikamaru wasn't ready to just consider Yugito an ally just yet. Just because she wasn't going to kill them didn't mean she might not turn them over for the right price. And if she were as poor as everyone else in the Land of Waves, the right price might turn out to be pretty low.

Chouji was oblivious from the moment he'd tasted Yugito's "Sushi on a Stick." Pretty much all of Yugito's recipes had included some sort of fish, come to think of it. Shikamaru wasn't worried about the food, though. Most people would never guess it, but the Akimichi tongue was actually very skilled at detecting poison of any kind (although if hungry enough, even that wouldn't stop some of them from eating). Chouji had already assured him several times (each time with his mouth full of Yugito's latest meal) that the food was safe.

Maybe Shikamaru was being paranoid, but he didn't think so. His father still had a deep scar on his left thigh from where a kid of no more than five had stabbed him once, so Shikamaru wasn't about to drop his guard around Yugito just because she seemed cute (he'd made that mistake the first time he met Ino, actually). In fact, if Yugito had been loud, cranky, and spoiled, she could actually pass for Ino with a simple henge... but that only made Shikamaru ache in a way that had nothing to do with his damaged arm.

At any rate, his suspicion would not allow him to relax completely around Yugito, and she clearly noticed this. She would always greet Chouji with a bright smile, and playfully rub his belly for luck. The smile never quite reached her eyes with Shikamaru, but it confirmed one thing: she knew that he knew, or that he suspected something about her.

It was funny, the speed with which she managed to get them alone in the same room. Tsunami had taken Chouji grocery shopping with her, supposedly so he could protect her. Shikamaru knew very well that Tsunami could handle any mugger that might trouble her, possibly even a few ninja. She didn't have much training, but the natural grace and reflexes were there, and if you were very lucky, sometimes that was all you needed.

Yugito said nothing as she walked into the guest room (Tazuna's room, most likely) where Shikamaru and Chouji had been staying. Shikamaru was sitting by the window, as he usually did, trying to take his mind off of Ino and Asuma (and Yugito) by watching the clouds.

"I don't suppose you learned any medical ninjutsu where you're from?" he asked quietly, not turning towards her.

"Nothing you would consider medical ninjutsu," Yugito replied slowly, "but there are other ways to heal."

"Chouji really likes you. You look a little like Ino, I think. He probably doesn't even realize it. I didn't have the heart to tell him you're not who you appear to be."

"Then who am I?" Yugito asked calmly, the challenge clear in her tone.

"I don't know," Shikamaru admitted. "But I know you're not Tsunami's daughter by birth, and I know you used to be, or are, a kunoichi. I don't know where you're from, why you're here, or why you're helping us. All I know is I've misplaced two teammates, and I don't plan to lose anymore. So whatever you're planning, you need to stay out of our way. Maybe I can't beat you on my own, but I won't make it easy for you."

Yugito smiled softly. "Why would I heal you just to hurt you?"

"Maybe you're only doing this so you can turn us over to someone for money, and you need us alive."

"Or maybe I just wanted to help you," she countered.

"Why would you?" he asked at once. "If you were from an allied country, you should've just said so immediately to avoid any trouble."

"Maybe it's not always about where you're from or who you serve. Maybe, just maybe, sometimes it's only about helping someone in need. Did you ever think of that?"

"No. And I don't believe you only helped us because you could. What do you want?"

"To keep this family safe," Yugito replied. "At first, I only stayed around to make sure you two wouldn't cause trouble for them. I believe you won't, at least not on purpose. But if Gato's men come looking for you or them, someone has to protect them, and no offense, but you guys wouldn't last long."

"I guess I can accept that," Shikamaru muttered, "but you still haven't said why you helped us."

"It should only matter that I did, and that I don't want anything in return. I realize you can't exactly afford to trust strangers right now, but I'm not asking you to. This family helped you, and I'm helping them. That's all that matters to me... for the moment."

* * *

Kin woke up in her bed in Temari and Naruto's bedroom, and immediately muttered angrily, "Those little rats..." 

"I was wondering how you got that got that cut on your cheek, and why it's healing so fast," Temari commented as she walked over. "Apparently it's a kamaitachi thing, or so Meg claims. What did you do to get them so mad at you?"

"Nothing!" Kin insisted. "They didn't want me to see their secret jutsu-"

"It's probably part of that little code Meg talks about sometimes," Temari added absently.

Kin scowled at her. "Anyway, the little one knocked me out!"

Temari blinked. "Shiden did? But she's so sweet..."

"She did it, dammit!" Kin shouted. "The bossy one told her to!"

"Well, that makes more sense. They're pretty serious about that code, especially Seikon. Why didn't you just back off?"

Kin opened her mouth, paused, and said, "I just couldn't, okay? Naruto-kun... he's really important to me, and my future. I need to be involved in every aspect of his life. I just... need him."

"Are you trying to make me throw up?" Temari sighed.

Before Kin could answer, she became aware of someone in the doorway. Temari noticed an instant later, and both of them slowly turned towards the person.

It was Kankurou... at least, it would've been, if Kankurou had somehow nearly doubled in height and weight since they'd last seen him yesterday. He was nearly too tall and too broud-shouldered to even fit through the door, although from the look of him, he could easily just stretch the doorway with his bare hands. Even his face paint was different: it was now blood red.

"I-Is that you, Kankurou?" Temari whispered, her eyes wide.

"Yeah," he grunted.

"Um... new puppet, right?" she guessed, swallowing nervously.

He flashed her a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes, but seemed amused all the same. "Right."

Temari's gaze moved down to his right arm, which was heavily taped. "Still working on it?"

"Almost done," he replied, shrugging.

"You, um... want any help?" Temari asked slowly. "I've got some time, if-"

"Nah, I got it," Kankurou interrupted. "Thanks, though." He flashed her that same cold smile again.

"Okay. Well, uh, you hungry? I could-"

"Nope. I'll get something later."

"Oh." Temari stared at him for a long moment. "Kankurou..."

"Yeah?"

"Are you... I mean, are you okay?"

He didn't say anything at first, and then that same empty smile appeared on his face. "I can honestly say I've never felt better, Temari. You don't need to worry about me. I'm just busy right now. You know how I zone out when I'm working on a new puppet. This one will be perfect, you'll see."

Temari managed a weak smile. She was still worried, but she hadn't heard that tone in Kankurou's voice since they were kids... before Gaara. Back when he was clearly, truly happy. Back when things had been so simple. If he had somehow gotten back to that place after all this time, then Temari decided that she would be happy for him, too. Worried, but happy.

"That was weird," Kin announced the moment Kankurou had gone to his room and closed the door.

"Yeah, it was," Temari agreed with a frown. "But if this is how he needs to be, then I'm not getting in his way."

"How come?" Kin asked, genuinely curious. "If Naruto-kun was acting weird, you'd be all over him."

Temari shook her head. "Because Naruto still needs me. Kankurou outgrew me the moment our mother died, and Gaara just pushed him farther away. He's still my brother, but... he can look out for himself. He prefers it that way. I want to be there for him, but I know all he really needs is his puppets. They can protect him where I couldn't."

"No offense, but that doesn't really sound healthy," Kin noted.

"You're right," Temari agreed. "But, it doesn't have to be. It just... is."

* * *

_Land of Waves - Unmarked Cave - March_

Ino had been quiet today, but that was not unusual. Sometimes… afterwards… she would do nothing but cry silent tears, and for Haku, that was the worst to see, because he knew that she was naturally a confident, outgoing girl. To see her reduced to what stood before him, it was sickening in a way that made him want to choke on his own vomit.

Haku was careful not to meet her eyes as he closed the manacles around her wrists and ankles, and made sure that her fingers were bound tightly, so that she could not form hand seals.

"Did… this ever happen to you, Haku-chan?" Ino asked suddenly.

He could not bear to tell her the truth and further dampen her spirits. "I belong to Zabuza… body and soul."

Ino's eyes watered, and with surprising speed, she lifted her chains over her Haku's head and pulled him into a tight hug.

Rather than feeling comforted, Haku knew in that moment that he'd made a grave mistake. In this position, Ino could easily choke him or bash his head open against the cave wall… that is, if she had enough spirit left. Somehow, he rather doubted she would even realize the opportunity was there.

"If I asked you to let me go, and you did… they'd kill you, wouldn't they?" Ino whispered in his ear.

In truth, Zabuza was the only one Haku needed to fear, and even there, if Haku could convince himself to no longer care for the man's dream, Zabuza would fall before him quickly enough.

"No. If I let you go, it wouldn't matter all that much," Haku admitted. "But… you would not leave without your sensei. Him, I cannot let go."

Ino's arms tightened around his neck. "Haku-chan," she whispered, "please… please let us go…"

Haku closed his eyes as he felt hot tears on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ino. I cannot."

"You… you could come with us!" Ino gasped, her desperation growing. "You'd be safe in our village! No one could touch you there!"

"If you swear to me that you would leave without your sensei, I would release you right now."

Ino drew back, glancing deeper into the cave, where Asuma was being held. "I-I can't. He wouldn't leave me. He's HERE because of me!"

Haku shook his head. "He's here because there is a large bounty on his head. There is none on yours."

"I won't leave without him!" Ino shouted.

"Then you will not leave," Haku said quietly.

Ino's lip trembled, but after a few seconds, she slowly sat down and drew her knees up to her body, pressing her face against them.

"Let me know if you change your mind," Haku murmured as he turned away.

"Never," Ino whispered fiercely.

Haku closed his eyes again. He was glad to see that she hadn't lost all of her spirit. It was unfortunate that she'd focused it in the wrong direction, though. He could tell from a glance that were it up to Asuma, Ino would be free, and he'd be left to whatever fate Zabuza had in store for him. Had Ino really been thinking, she would have agreed to leave alone, and possibly come back for her Asuma later. But she simply could not accept the idea of abandoning him, even for a few minutes. Haku could recall a time when he had been that loyal to Zabuza.

"I don't blame you, Haku-chan. I know this isn't your fault, and that you're trying to help."

He froze, unable to turn around and face Ino again. "You should not be so quick to forgive me."

Ino laughed weakly. "It's all I really can do right now. You're the only reason I'm not dead yet."

"That is not something you should thank me for. What remains of your life would be far simpler if you just agreed to die and escape this misery."

"I could never do that," Ino sighed. "If I was killed, or if I got really sick, that would be one thing. Neither of those requires me to make the choice. But to just accept and invite death? That's not something I can do. Not now, and maybe not ever."

"That is the difference between you and I," Haku said quietly. "You fear death, and your fear has trapped you here. The only thing I fear is nothingness, living without purpose."

"That's strange," Ino said softly. "I'd give anything not to have a purpose right now. If I didn't matter, I could just go home."

"You don't matter, and you can go home."

"That's only what you see, Haku-chan. But I matter to my village and my father. I'm a kunoichi and a daughter. That's why I can't just lay down and die, or abandon my sensei. I could never go home and face everyone if I did. You can't live without a purpose, and I can't discard mine. There's no difference at all."

* * *

Iruka was tempted to whistle as he made his way to Tayuya's quarters, he was in such a good mood. Actually, he hadn't officially been assigned a place to stay, but Orochimaru obviously wanted him close to his mistress when possible, no matter how much Tayuya spat and cursed about it, so it was a done deal. 

His smile widened at the thought of the irritable redhead, to the point where a dull throb of pain made itself known in his newly scarred nose. "Note to self: smiling way too wide when that happens," he murmured, carefully fingering his nose as he rounded a corner and stepped into Tayuya's room.

Ninja reflexes were the only things that saved him from a flute in the eye.

"You stupid BASTARD!" Tayuya howled, stomping towards him. "You fucking dumb THIEF!"

Iruka blinked and carefully placed the flute into one of his scroll pockets. "Are you just mad in general again, or did I do something specific?"

Tayuya's fist flew straight at his head, and Iruka caught her wrist with ease, being far more skilled in taijutsu. Because he sensed that she actually had a legitimate reason to be angry for once, he resisted the playful urge to kiss her fist.

"You know what you did!" Tayuya screamed. "You stole my damn demons, and then you nearly get your fool ass killed out there! Don't think I didn't see it!"

"Should I ask next time?" Iruka wondered aloud. He made no attempt to block her other hand, which swung up and slapped his cheek hard enough to leave it red for several minutes.

"Fucker," Tayuya whispered, lowering her head so he wouldn't see the start of tears in her eyes. "All your damn fault…"

Frowning, Iruka reached out to touch her cheek, but that was when it felt it: a tight knob of flesh throbbing on his shoulder. Strangely enough, there was no pain. But Iruka was still unprepared for the red mist that descended onto his brain and sank its hooks into him. The next thing he knew, he'd drawn Tayuya into his arms, tilted her head up, and lowered his lips to hers.

The moment their lips touched, the red mist began to part, just as Tayuya suddenly shoved him away from her, her eyes wide with confusion… and a hint of guilt.

Iruka shook his head and reached up to place his hand over the cursed seal on his shoulder. There was no sensation at all there now, but his eyes met Tayuya's as his hand slipped away, and he felt one last blissful pulse. "Tayuya-chan," he said hoarsely. "You…"

"Shut up," she whispered, shaking her head. "Just… shut up! This isn't what I wanted, dammit!"

"But you-"

"It's not my fault! I didn't put the stupid fucking seal on you!"

"But you do have some control over it," Iruka said softly.

"How do you know?" she demanded.

"Because if you hadn't released that control, we wouldn't have stopped."

Tayuya stared at him in shock. "What?"

Iruka smiled at her. "You think I would only want to kiss you if you wanted it first? As far as I'm concerned, all this seal means is you can make me stop whenever you want. But the basic desire was there first. I don't think any amount of brainwashing could make me forget that."

"You're saying… you like me?"

"I'm saying," Iruka answered with a smirk, "that if you hadn't stopped me, I would show you just how determined I am to please you… without the seal's influence." He slowly reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm saying that you don't have to make me want you. I manage it just fine on my own, thanks."

She glared at him. "Don't get any ideas, you perv!"

He laughed at her. "You forget, Tayuya-chan: I know what makes you happy, and I know when you're just putting up a front to keep from admitting that you are happy." He paused, his eyes seeming to grow darker. "And once I know for sure that me kissing you is exactly what you want, Orochimaru himself won't be able to keep me off of you." He let that promise hang between them before turning to leave. "I need a cold shower. Feel free to join me."

"Fucker," Tayuya whispered, doing her best to ignore the pleasant shiver that traveled up her spine, and the mental image currently floating through her head: Iruka, naked and dripping wet. "FUCKER!"

"Not yet, but hopefully soon!" Iruka shouted happily from down the hall.

Tayuya turned bright red and punched the wall. "DAMMIT!"

**End of Chapter 16.**

* * *

Endnotes: 

I don't think Tayuya's demons have names, but I figured it was easier to identify if they had some. I just named them after different deities.

Dojin: earth deity (the demon with big claws)

Sanrei: a mountain's guardian deity (the demon with the club)

Dousojin: traveler's guardian deity (the wrapped demon that Iruka "drowned")

Shiden: purple lightning; flash; swordflash

Seikon: soul; energy; spirit; vitality

"Kon-kon" is just a cutesy nickname that Shiden uses for Seikon.

Orochimaru's constantly calling Sasori "Sasori-kun" isn't really meant to be disrespectful. It's more a reference to the youthful appearance of his "true" body. But I suppose it is also slightly creepy, which suits Orochimaru just fine.

I couldn't find a map that showed exactly where the Land of Waves was, so I assume it's one of several islands located near the Hidden Mist Village (that would explain the problems with Mist missing-nin, anyway).


	17. Parting the Mist

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 17: Parting the Mist**

* * *

_Land of Waves – Forest – March_

Hinata had run into something of a problem, and only shortly after Sasuke had suggested that they split up to better accomplish their separate goals. That had most likely been for the best: she'd spotted no mercenaries in town, which meant they had to be somewhere else. Sasuke's goal would be met elsewhere, but Hinata's priority was still to find Shikamaru and Chouji.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as simple as asking where Tazuna lived. A stranger asking about the late bridge builder would arouse suspicion, both among the villagers and mercenaries, so Hinata had stuck to the outskirts as much as possible, largely avoiding people entirely.

After nearly an hour of searching, she'd finally spotted Shikamaru, or someone who looked a great deal like him, sitting under a tree in a small clearing. But she had to be sure it was him, and fortunately, there was a way to verify this, however unlikely it was.

It was a little known fact that despite their drastic differences, every child that belonged to a Konoha clan played a certain game: Forest Calls. Each clan was assigned a particular animal to mimic, and the type of call indicated the identity and the intent of the caller.

For example, if a child were searching for a certain playmate, they would call out the number of syllables of their friend's name, using their friend's clan animal, and then announce themselves using their own clan's call. Most children only had one or two friends from the same clan, so this worked out for the most part.

However, the true purpose of the game was to identify fellow Leaf-nin, so it was less about knowing your friends' calls, and more about knowing the calls of specific clans. Still, the only way to learn to reproduce a call properly was to be instructed by the actual clan, so being familiar with a clan first certainly helped.

Hinata had never really liked the game. She hadn't had many friends, and mostly just learned the calls of her classmates. Her former clan were screech owls, which were easy to mimic (the Branch House were pygmy owls). The Nara were white-tailed deer.

The trouble was that Hinata wasn't a Hyuuga anymore, so she technically shouldn't be using an owl call to announce herself. Several woodpecker varieties were reserved for the Uchiha, and Hinata's was now the same as Sasuke's: the pileated woodpecker, to indicate they were heirs or members of the head family. Unfortunately, Hinata had only ever used her owl call with her classmates, so she had no idea if any of them would even respond to her new call. Probably only Shikamaru would realize that she might have changed her call, and that was only if he were wide-awake at the time.

Finally, Hinata decided on a compromise that was sure to get his attention: she called for Ino using the Yamanaka clan's Magnolia warbler cry, then identified herself with an owl and woodpecker call.

The reply came back faster than she expected: four muted sniffs, followed by a grumble of "troublesome."

Smiling, Hinata stepped into the clearing. "It's good to see you, Shikamaru."

That was only partially true, though. Shikamaru looked as if he'd been having a pretty rough time: there were dark circles under his eyes, he had definitely lost some weight, and there was a homemade cast on his left arm. Even his pineapple hair looked droopy, though that could've just been the humidity.

"Where's Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked, sounding genuinely tired for the first time since Hinata had known him.

"Looking for your attackers," Hinata replied as she knelt beside him and carefully examined his left arm with her Byakugan. The bone was broken but healing, though it'd be useless in a fight. Even if she sped up the process, it would most likely be damaged further if she had to depend on him to watch her back.

"Don't worry about my arm," Shikamaru sighed. "Just get Ino and Asuma back."

"How's Chouji?"

He rolled his eyes. "Eating, like always. We're fine, Hinata. As fine as we can be with half our team missing, anyways."

Hinata bit her lip. "I'm sorry..."

Shikamaru waved her off. "Don't be, you guys weren't even supposed to be here. If we'd been better prepared-"

A twig snapped behind them, and Hinata had just drawn a kunai when Shikamaru's hand closed over her wrist.

"Wait. It's just Nibbles."

Hinata blinked. "Who?"

"Yugito's cat," Shikamaru explained as a small black cat walked over to them and leapt lightly into Shikamaru's lap, where she began to purr contentedly. "She's always sneaking up on us like that. You get used to it, I guess."

Sighing, Hinata put the kunai away. "Do you have any idea where Ino and Asuma are being held?"

Shikamaru nodded as he absently began to scratch Nibbles on her head. "There's some old caves on the other side of the island. Tazuna's grandson has seen some mercenaries around there in the past few days. He'll lead you straight to them."

"What about you and Chouji?" Hinata asked. "What if you're attacked here while I'm gone?"

"I wouldn't worry. Yugito... can help, and Tsunami can fight well enough to handle some thugs. Besides, there aren't enough left for them to spread themselves too thin. Asuma took out a lot of them."

Hinata didn't miss the pause. "And you trust this... Yugito?"

Shikamaru sighed. "She's troublesome, but she's only helped us so far, even if she's not exactly on our side. Right now I think she only wants to protect Tazuna's family. So long as we don't get in the way of that, we can trust her."

* * *

_Suna – Shopping District – March_

Kankurou did not particularly enjoy eating ramen or spending time with Naruto anymore, but he had come to accept that they were things he was pretty much required to do at regular intervals. If he withdrew from too many of Naruto and Temari's usual activities, they would start asking questions that he didn't feel like answering or evading. Thankfully, all his agreeing to go to lunch with them resulted in was a quick, surprised glance between the two blonds before they left.

He tried to keep his mind on other things as they walked through the village, but it was difficult. Kankurou was starting to remember that spending time with both of them hadn't really been bad, so much as it had been... normal. And that was a vast improvement over walking on eggshells around Gaara all the time. Despite that, normal had not suited Kankurou's tastes. It had been boring and increasingly frustrating. Maybe death wasn't waiting around every corner anymore, but he wouldn't have been opposed to a little action to keep him sharp.

Naruto was walking slightly ahead of them, too distracted by the chatter of his two new weasels to notice much else, thankfully. Temari, however, was hanging back, glancing up at Kankurou out of the corner of her eyes.

He had to admit that his new master had inspired his latest construct: bigger was indeed better, or at least it certainly felt that way on the inside looking out. He wasn't worried about Temari causing trouble for him, though. She just wasn't that type of sister, not unless they were purposely trying to get on each other's nerves, and Temari was still a little too nervous around his new body for that. She wouldn't pry unless she thought he was in trouble.

That was one good thing about being one of the Kazekage's children: they gave each other plenty of space. Even when Gaara had been around, it was common for one or all of them to spend time apart, if for no other reason than to stay out of each other's way. Kankurou had never doubted that if he'd really needed Temari's help, she would've dropped everything to be by his side. She couldn't help it: she was the oldest, not to mention a girl. She'd been trying to be the mother of their sad little trio since day one, and either because she was the oldest or because he needed one, Kankurou had largely let her get away with it.

At times like this, though, that blessing became a curse, since Temari felt doubly obligated to make sure that Kankurou was okay. And he was, but he just couldn't come out and say how okay he truly was. Besides, if Temari new what his new body was hiding beneath it, he knew their definitions of 'okay' would be drastically different.

"You're quiet today, Kankurou."

He blinked and glanced at Temari, nearly wincing to see her staring at him now, instead of just glancing. "You're complaining?"

She smiled faintly. "No, but... it's new, that's all."

"You want to talk?" he asked, hoping that she didn't but knowing better at the same time.

Temari shrugged. "You're changing... right before my eyes."

"So did the kid," Kankurou pointed out, a little defensively.

She glanced at Naruto and smiled again. "Yeah. But you know the same rules never really apply to him."

Kankurou had to force down a stab of jealousy, and a surprising amount of rage at that comment. Of course the rules didn't apply to Naruto, or Gaara. He didn't need anyone to tell him that. But the current line of questioning was risky, and he needed to distract her.

"What would you do if I died tomorrow?"

Temari's eyes widened, and she nearly tripped over her own feet. "W-What?" she gasped.

Kankurou repeated his question.

"Why would you even ask me that, Kankurou?"

He stared at her blankly. "We're ninja, Temari. I'm surprised you haven't thought of this before. So what's your answer?"

Temari looked at the ground for several seconds. Finally, she murmured, "How?"

Kankurou spoke without really thinking about it. "Rock-nin. Solo job. Kunai to the neck."

"Do I know where he is?" Temari asked quietly.

"Yeah."

Temari paused for only a moment. "I'd cut off his head and jam it on top of a pike," she said coldly. "And then... I'd cry a little," she added softly.

He grunted. "Only a little?"

She glared up at him. "Yes, damn you. I know you'd tease me if I did any more than that, and just because I wouldn't fall apart doesn't mean I don't care. You're my brother, Kankurou!"

"And Gaara?"

"I love him, too," Temari added firmly without missing a beat. "Don't you?"

Kankurou didn't say anything. He could no longer remember Gaara as anything but an unfeeling, bloodthirsty lump of demonic chakra wrapped in human flesh. Any time someone mentioned his having a brother, he honestly thought about Naruto first, and only then because he'd spent more time around the boy.

"Well?" Temari demanded when it became obvious that Kankurou wasn't going to answer her.

"Look, Temari," he said slowly. "I can accept that you're still attached to Gaara. You practically raised us, so you've got that weird maternal instinct when it comes to him. I don't. I really don't care. And you know what? Neither does he. Gaara's probably better off without me in his life, and I know I'm better off without him. I stopped thinking of him as my brother a long time ago."

He expected Temari to get upset, to yell, to possibly even hit him. But she didn't do anything. She just looked at him, a little sadly, and said, "I understand."

"You're not mad?" he asked, eyeing her carefully in case she decided to hit him.

"I understand," she repeated, though it came out a little strained.

Kankurou decided not to push the issue any further. He didn't want to fight with Temari, not unless he absolutely had to. There had been no brainwashing in his new training; it hadn't been necessary. He had come willingly, fully prepared for what awaited him. He still loved Temari, and cared for Naruto to some extent. But if he had to kill them to reach his goals, he would. He would get no pleasure from it, and the act would weigh on his heart, but he'd get over it eventually.

The power would be worth the momentary pain.

He would put his heart aside, for as long as he needed to. That was his nindo, his way of the ninja.

Besides, his master would not ask him to do it if there was any real chance that he might fail. Only when Kankurou was ready would he be expected to take on such a task. His master was not one to waste resources, and he had invested far too much effort in training Kankurou to simply let him be killed. That was slightly comforting, frankly. Sasori was always interested in long term, big picture details. That he had put any effort into the training meant that Sasori intended to keep him around for quite some time. And that suited Kankurou just fine.

* * *

_Konoha – March_

If there was one thing that most people didn't know about Hatake Anko, it was that she was extremely protective of people that were important to her. For example, the minute a young Anko had heard someone openly criticize the Sandaime Hokage for allowing her to remain in the village immediately after Orochimaru's defection, she'd attempted to claw that person's eyes out. Of course, that person had been a council member, and it certainly hadn't made convincing people that she was sane any easier.

But that hadn't been the point. The point had been that the Sandaime alone had known exactly the kind of cruelty his former student was capable of, and he was perhaps the only one that had any idea what kind of emotional torment Anko went through every time the man's name was brought up.

And the Sandaime simply hadn't cared to hold it against her, since she'd had no control over the matter. No one in her position would have, frankly, but the Sandaime was apparently the only one who could understand that. He hadn't even gone to the trouble of having Anko watched by ANBU. Instead, he'd given her odd jobs that kept her coming in and out of his office. In an odd way, he was able to keep an eye on her personally without actually making her feel like she was under suspicion. Even when he'd dragged her around the village on those long, boring walks, Anko hadn't minded too much. No one had dared to shoot her dirty looks in his presence, and they'd both known it.

Even now, Anko recalled with some nostalgia that the Sandaime had been the first man she allowed to hold her hand (Orochimaru had not been one for physical contact).

The funny thing was, looking back, Anko would never have placed as much faith in a child with a cursed seal as the Sandaime had placed in her, even if the seal was suppressed. Maybe she just didn't trust that easily, and maybe it was just paranoia. A certain amount of paranoia was required for all ninja that expected to make it past genin, in her opinion: it kept the senses sharp, and more often than not, the feeling that someone was out to get you was fairly accurate.

But the experience had taught her to stay loyal to her friends, if she was lucky enough to get any. Sure enough, over time, she'd rounded up a few (and any of them would admit that Anko had basically told them they were her friends, no matter how they felt about it), and she kept them very close. She knew five different ways to break into Kurenai's home, where Kurenai stashed her best wine, and that Asuma hadn't managed his first summon until Kurenai had kissed his cheek at her twelfth birthday party (the Sarutobi were uncommonly good summoners; technically Asuma should've mastered it a year earlier). She knew that Asuma had started smoking as a way to practice fire manipulation, and kept at it because it reminded him of his father. She knew that Kakashi and Kurenai occasionally replaced Asuma's regular cigarettes with henged filtered brands, and he hardly ever noticed.

In other words, it was a good thing that Kurenai and Asuma were willing to remain her friends, because if they ever changed their minds, Anko had enough material to blackmail them for the rest of their lives.

Kurenai hadn't needed to be told that something had gone wrong with Team 10's mission. She had just... known, in much the same way that she always knew when Asuma was smoking after he'd promised to try and cut back or quit entirely.

Anko noticed right away when Kurenai grew quieter than usual, and made a point to drag her out for drinks every other night. Sometimes Kurenai drank like a fish, and sometimes she drank nothing at all, but she always came along, and that was enough for Anko. They talked about anything but Asuma, which was surprisingly difficult, but they managed it all the same. Anko bragged about how far Hinata had come along in her training, and Kurenai mentioned in passing that Sakura was progressing nicely, thanks largely to all the extra taijutsu training she did with Kiba.

But that was just passing the time. Anko could tell that Kurenai was still worried about Asuma, and there was really nothing they could do. The Sandaime wouldn't send anyone else unless he didn't get any word from Gaara's team after a set time, and even then it would be ANBU. Although if whatever had gone wrong could beat Gaara, Anko wasn't too hopeful of the next squad's chances.

* * *

_Hidden Waterfall Village - March_

Rock Lee was unlike most genin in several ways. He was almost blindly obedient, incredibly resilient, and faster than some jounin when he needed to be. This combination made him a perfect messenger for a series of brief, unassuming trips to the Hidden Waterfall Village, one of Konoha's latest (and smallest) allies.

Still, Lee could not be blamed for not asking any questions. Very few genin were called into the Hokage's office and given missions of "great importance" by the Sandaime himself (the firm but friendly shoulder pats particularly stuck out in Lee's mind, but he was just that kind of person). And for a genin to be a diplomatic runner to an allied village, even though it was still building up its power, was an unheard of honor. Questioning such a rare privilege could be seen as disrespectful, and since it was Lee's dream to one day join the ranks of the shinobi elite, he wasn't about to turn his back on a potential promotion without excellent reason.

Anyway, in the words of the illustrious Guy-sensei, "A proper ninja does not fail a mission before it even begins."

On the first trip, Guy actually had accompanied him, as a mere precaution. After that, though, Lee was allowed to continue the trips alone. It was nothing that he considered difficult, anyway. Mostly it was just running, without his weights on, once he passed the Fire Country border (that had, in fact, been the most stressed detail of the mission). If there was anyone that even could follow him after that point, they deserved to catch him, if for no other reason than Lee could then engage them in an honorable (and most likely exhausting) battle.

The Hidden Waterfall Village was relatively peaceful, and Lee enjoyed his time there. There were many children, all of whom were amazed by his speed and strength. Lee tried hard not to show off, but it was difficult to deny them when they begged. If nothing else, he always made time to play with them before he left. The parents appreciated it, and Shibuki, the young village leader, sorely needed a stand-in so he could actually run things without the kids missing their preferred playmate too much.

But the true purpose of the missions, as far as Lee could tell, was to make contact with the chief medic-nin (this was not nearly as lofty a title as it seemed, since there were only two official ones in the whole village). She had only recently come to the village to set up a medic-nin training program, although because she had such high standards, there were no graduates so far.

Lee was quite fond of the older woman, to be perfectly honest. She was strict but fair, often mean but capable of great kindness, and rather used to getting her own way. In a word, she could be insufferable, if that was her wish. Also, she was not above sending a flirty wink a young man's way, despite her own age or his lack thereof.

For those reasons, Lee was in an unusually good mood when he knocked on the door of the woman's modest but comfortable home, located a short walk from the village's hospital. Even if she were busy, he knew she would insist on giving him a quick check-up, or perhaps even a massage if she were in a good enough mood (Lee only accepted because she was a medic-nin, and did his best to ignore the pinches on his bottom).

However, on this occasion, there was an unusually long wait, and when the door finally opened, Lee could tell at once that this would be a brief visit. The woman's long, blonde hair was streaked with what looked like purple dye, and there were noticeable bags under her eyes.

"If this is a bad time, Mina-sama," he began hesitantly.

"Oh, don't be silly, Lee-kun!" she replied at once, waving him off. "Come in, come in!" And before Lee could comment on how exhausted she looked, she had pulled him into the house and slammed the door shut. Then she was pushing him onto the couch and asking if he wanted something to drink.

"No, I'm fine," he assured her. "Are... you alright, Mina-sama? You seem... different." That was as personal as he dared to get.

"Me? Oh, I'm just a little nerve-wracked right now." Mina beamed at him, tilting her head to one side. "It's just... well, you see, Reiko-chan is going through difficult time right now." She lowered her voice a bit. "A difficult... MONTHLY time, if you get my drift. So she's not really in the mood for visitors... or me, for that matter. But all I can do is be there for her, whether she likes it or not."

Lee's eyes widened. "I see. I'm sorry to hear that... I think."

"Trust me, you are!" Mina laughed kindly. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. I'll be sure to mention that you stopped by, once she's back to her old self. So, I assume you have something for me?"

Relieved at the change in subject, Lee eagerly nodded. "Oh, yes!" He quickly pulled out a red scroll and passed it to her with his right hand, already extending his left hand to accept the green scroll that she handed him in return. "Is, um... is that all?"

Mina sighed. "Well, normally, I'd ask you to stay a while so I could take a good look at your legs, but I really need to keep a close eye on Reiko-chan. So for now, I'll just have to say you should take it easy, the way I always do. You're still a boy, you know. No need to wear that body out before you've completely grown into it."

"I'll keep that in mind, Mina-sama," Lee promised.

She hit him on his shoulder. "Don't just keep it in mind, live it, you silly boy! If you ever end up on my operating table, I'll make you sorry! Now, you'd best get out of here before Reiko-chan wakes up and decides to torment you simply because you're male."

Lee was back on his feet in an instant. "Please tell Reiko-chan that I hope she feels better soon!" he exclaimed, giving her a wide, shiny grin and thrusting his thumb up in the air.

"Yes, yes, off you go," Mina said, shooing him out of the door with several swats on his rear. "Take care of yourself, Lee-kun!" The moment he was a good distance away, she closed the door and locked it.

"Is he... gone, Tsunade-sama?" asked a soft, weary voice behind her.

"Mina" sighed as she dropped (or rather, slightly adjusted) the henge that had been altering her usual appearance. "You're supposed to be in bed, 'Reiko-chan,' or did you manage not to overhear that part?" Tsunade of the Sannin asked, glaring at her assistant. "Now get back in there before you collapse again."

Shizune shook her head weakly as she leaned against the wall. "I've been lying down all day..."

"Yeah, and notice how you're still seconds away from passing out? THAT is why you're supposed to STAY lying down."

"Tsunade-sama, I-"

"Don't make me restrain you again, Shizune," Tsunade interrupted firmly. "I know it's your condition making you so disagreeable, so I won't hold it against you. But if you insist on making yourself worse, I won't hesitate to knock you out."

For a moment, Shizune looked as if she might put up a fight... again. Tsunade had little to fear from Shizune's poisons (having taught her how to make most of them; part of why Tsunade had quickly forgotten all about the trace amounts stuck in her hair), and in a straight fight, Shizune would last maybe five seconds if she were in good health (and if Tsunade were going easy on her).

Finally, Shizune simply sighed and sagged against the wall a little more. She began to slip further, but Tsunade quickly wrapped an arm around her waist.

Tsunade grinned down at her. "Hate to say I told you so..."

"No, you don't," Shizune grumbled, even as she leaned heavily on Tsunade's offered arm.

"To think, if I hadn't been such a sap years ago, we wouldn't be in this mess," Tsunade groaned as she practically dragged Shizune to the bedroom. "Sometimes I wonder what possessed me to pluck that brat out of that massacre and take him home with me."

"Personally, I wonder what possessed you to do a blood transfusion when all you knew for certain was that we shared the same blood type," Shizune added with a weak smile.

"Well, you did need it, and he did offer. What was I supposed to do, risk letting you die? Anyway, you always swear you don't regret it..."

"And I don't," Shizune said quickly.

"So I suppose it's a moot point. But HE is never around when you get like this. Just once, I want him to know much trouble we go through for him."

"You mustn't blame Kabu-kun for this, Tsunade-sama. He couldn't have known the impact his blood would have on me. No one could've."

Tsunade said nothing as she helped Shizune back into the bed. Kabuto had been a bright child from the start. Sometimes she wondered if he hadn't known exactly what he was doing, the day he gave his blood to save Shizune's life. Sure, she was glad he'd been there now, and that it had been one of the few times she hadn't frozen up around spilled blood, but still.

Kabuto's blood was tainted, or at least it contained one of the most worrisome bloodline limits she'd ever dealt with. Even in him, Tsunade had noticed some... quirks. If he were angry enough, Kabuto would just... change. Tsunade hesitated to use the word "demonic" to describe anything other than actual demons, but it fit pretty well in Kabuto's case. His speed, strength, chakra, everything just went into overdrive, and his heartbeat nearly quadrupled. Frankly, Tsunade was amazed he hadn't suffered several massive heart attacks just from the few times she'd seen him change.

For Shizune, it wasn't nearly as beneficial. Her heart, at least, seemed to understand that it could not pump that much blood that quickly, which was a good thing. Unfortunately, her brain didn't quite get the message, and urged the rest of her body into hyperactivity, with or without her consent, at least once a month. Shizune was getting better at resisting, but the strain it put on her mentally and physically was enormous. It was lucky that Shizune had decided to stay with her, because Tsunade was one of the few people with enough strength to restrain her when she was in one of her "moods." Kabuto could do it with words alone, but of course he wasn't around.

"What are you thinking, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked quietly.

Tsunade shook her head and brushed some of Shizune's dark hair out of her face. "I'm thinking I'm getting too old for this. Remind me to punch Kabuto in the mouth the next time I see him."

"You don't really mean that?"

"I sure as hell do. It's not like he couldn't heal a broken jaw within a few seconds."

Shizune pouted slightly, but it had no effect on Tsunade, so she sighed and gave up. "How long are we going to be here?"

Tsunade shrugged. "Don't know. I told the old man I'd do him this one favor, and it's not done yet. At this rate, I'd guess a couple more months. Why?"

"I was hoping I'd get to see Lee-kun in the chuunin exams. You've seen the way his face lights up when he talks about it. Anyway, he might hurt himself, and-"

"You know there are medic-nin in Konoha, Shizune," Tsunade said with a frown.

"None as good as us," Shizune reminded her instantly. "You don't want someone inexperienced trying to patch him up. They could cripple him for life."

"He could do that himself, with the taijutsu he knows. I've warned him about-"

Shizune shook her head and smiled sadly. "He's a young man trying to prove himself, Tsunade-sama. He won't listen. Just like you wouldn't listen when they told you-"

"Yes, I know, I was there. You've got to stop adopting the patients, Shizune. No good can come of it. I'm pretty sure I've told you that a few times, too."

"One day I might even listen, Tsunade-sama," Shizune replied with a bright smile.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I won't hold my breath."

* * *

It was odd, the ways in which the mind found to occupy itself.

At least, Ino thought so. Strange as it sounded, being raped wasn't quite as bad when she could figuratively escape the worst moments by retreating into her mind. As a Yamanaka, she was far too used to abandoning her body for short periods, and any damage that might cause serious problems was quickly taken care of by Haku and her "magic herbs" (they had to be, Ino had never healed as fast as she was now... although, she'd never been hurt in this way, either, and certainly not repeatedly).

She was learning things about the men. There were only a handful touching her, not because the rest weren't interested, she soon realized, but because her team (mostly Asuma) had killed or scared off the others during the ambush. Ino learned to identify them: one liked it when she struggled, another preferred she didn't move at all (she "preferred" him in turn, since she never had to do anything), and still another muttered someone else's name the whole time (she could only imagine what the poor girl would think, if she knew what he was up to).

Curiously, Zabuza was not among those men. She only saw him when he came to check on Asuma, and even then, he never stayed long. Ino began to wonder things about him. Had he grabbed her just to force her team into surrendering? Or had he intended to kidnap her all along, to keep his men busy? Why did Haku get better treatment than her? If she could somehow prove to Zabuza that she was more valuable, would he keep his men away from her?

Ino and Asuma had been held captive for at least two weeks now, and nothing seemed to be changing. If she didn't do something, things would only get worse. She doubted Haku's talents could keep her healthy for much longer. Perhaps if she could convince Haku not to bind her fingers just one time, or to even delay it just a moment, Ino could take over Haku's body and do... something. Maybe pick the lock on Asuma's chains with those senbon Haku used to numb the pain.

Senbon so much like the ones that had taken Asuma down in the first place.

Suddenly, everything slid into place. Why Haku wasn't harmed as Ino was. Why Haku knew so much about the human body. Why Haku sounded so guilty whenever Ino insisted that she didn't blame her for what was happening. Why Haku even offered to let her go, if only she'd leave without Asuma.

"Things aren't always what they seem, Ino," Asuma had told her once, shortly after he'd noticed that she and her teammates were having trouble cooperating. "I know Chouji seems like a continuously snacking butterball, and Shikamaru makes a sloth look busy sometimes. But even if that is what they are, it doesn't mean that they can't be more. Chouji could probably be stronger than me, if he put his mind to it. And Shikamaru already IS smarter than me... when he puts his mind to it. And if I expect all of that from boys who almost never try, just think about what I might expect from you, a girl obsessed with being the best."

Everything made perfect sense and no sense at the same time. Haku had brought down Asuma, but now she was trying to help Ino escape alone. Haku wasn't Zabuza's prisoner, she was part of his gang. Haku wasn't just an innocent girl, she was a highly-trained kunoichi.

And if a kunoichi could be as talented as Haku obviously was, there was certainly hope for Ino still. All she had to do was escape, with her sensei. It wasn't the most difficult thing in the world, just the most difficult thing in her world at the moment. Asuma had believed in her once, and she couldn't just give up because things looked bad. She wanted to go home, to see her father and Sakura again. And none of that would happen unless she became the kunoichi that Asuma had believed she could be.

* * *

_Unknown Realm - March_

Knowledge was power. Too much of either was forbidden in most circles, while not enough was dangerous.

He had learned that lesson the hard way, but he did not regret his choices. His branch of the family had been labeled black sheep long before he came along, and would remain so long after he was gone.

Banishment was a difficult punishment, but at least it wasn't death. Ironically, it was through banishment that he had gained even more forbidden knowledge, but because he was banished, there was no one around to catch him. He so loved that type of irony.

But there were times when he missed the old days. Being a Son of Enma, however distant, was a great honor among monkeys. It had been hard to watch his father, a once great sage, lowered to the level of a simple fool, but it only made his own desire to become great that much stronger. Many of them still laughed at the name Son Goku, but the laughter stopped when his oldest son was mentioned. They had come to fear Son Gohan, and that was just how he liked it.

Besides, there were some humans smart enough to be unafraid of all the warnings and rumors about him. Asuma had been one of them. Gohan had not seen his father's old playmate in years, and sometimes wondered how the boy had turned out. Gohan himself had never been paired with a human. Actually, his father had only managed it because Asuma, too, had known the pain of being rejected by his father. Gohan had never been one for friends: they often got in the way, and slowed down his research, so he'd put them aside early on and simply forgotten them.

He had nothing against occasional companions, though. Information was hard to come by in isolation, and having a network of the informed was terribly useful at times. In fact, it was the only reason that Gohan had not cut himself off from his family entirely. Perhaps they were not Sons of Enma officially anymore, but they were still blessed with his strength and agility. There was value in each of them still, even if no one but them saw it. So what if the humans chose not to summon them? They did not need humans to validate their existence.

Although it was a huge ego boost, being summoned to rescue the poor simpletons.

But Asuma was the only one with "permission" (actually, the only one who chose to) summon Son Goku and his children, and Gohan had opted out of that particular contract. He had nothing against Asuma, was almost fond of him, really, but he had no time for such distractions. Knowledge did not simply wait for the scholars while they were otherwise occupied.

Yet Gohan had never been able to stifle his curiosity, his need to know essentially everything, and so when he felt the odd tug at the edge of his senses, he was not angry that someone was trying to summon him, but amused that they'd gotten that far at all. Like most powerful monkeys, Gohan could not be summoned by accident. Specific knowledge was needed to breach his realm, and the only human who should even begin to know where to look was Asuma.

He followed the tug from his realm to the human world, and emerged from a dusty scroll to come face to face with a startled black-haired, red-eyed woman.

"Son Gohan?" she asked warily, with just a hint of fear in her voice.

Gohan did not answer immediately, as he was busy extending his awareness to include the entire building they stood in (apparently the woman's home) and the surrounding area. Satisfied that they would not be disturbed, he gave her his full attention. "You obviously know who I am if you were able to summon me, Yuuhi-san. Tell me why you have done so."

"I-I have a favor to ask," Kurenai replied, clearly knowing that this might not go over so well.

Frowning, Gohan leaned forward slightly and sniffed the air around her. "You do not have a contract with any monkeys. I suspect you were merely given instructions on how to summon me. So why should I help you?"

"Because the one who told me how to summon you was Sarutobi Asuma," the woman replied.

Gohan had already figured out that much, but he was not really swayed, either. "What is it that you want of me?"

"Asuma has been captured. I want... I need to know his condition. Please."

"I will do this... if you will do something for me in return," Gohan answered after a few seconds. "An even trade."

Kurenai nodded at once. "What do you want from me?"

Gohan smiled. "I need a human contact in this village. An intelligence agent, if you prefer. Someone to keep me informed of current events."

"A spy?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"Not quite. It was Enma's choice to ban our branch of the family. We are on the same side, if a bit distanced. It's similar to the way that the Uchiha and Hyuuga became divided. It is not my fault that Enma chooses to no longer associate with us, but I will not allow my family to suffer any further from his stubborn pride. This would not make you popular with him, but chances are you'll never meet him, anyway. And if you did, this way you'd at least have a monkey to defend you."

"And if I agree to this," she said slowly, "how often would the two of us meet?"

Gohan shrugged. "Once, twice a year. No more than that. I have other sources."

"In other Hidden Villages?" Kurenai guessed, narrowing her eyes.

He chuckled. "I knew there was something I liked about you. Now, are you ready to find your lost Asuma?"

Kurenai hesitated before nodding.

It was not a difficult task by any means. Son Goku had achieved great fame for his leaping ability, but Son Gohan had another means of getting around. He could extend his mind even farther than his father could leap, and then some. Within seconds, he'd pinpointed Asuma's location, condition, even his thoughts.

"Asuma is alive. Concerned for his students, and a little underfed, but alive. There is no immediate danger to him; their entire purpose is to keep him alive so that they may collect the bounty on his head."

"And his students?"

"The boys are wounded but stable, and the girl... I suspect she would not appreciate me prying into her injuries, so you'll just have to ask her when you see her next."

Kurenai blinked. "You sound certain of that."

"I am," Gohan replied. "A rescue is in progress. You'll be reunited with Asuma soon enough, Yuuhi-san. And now, the matter of my payment."

Before Kurenai could think to stop him, Gohan reached out and tapped the side of her neck. "I will know if you are killed. Should that happen, I will exterminate your killer, his family, and his entire village if need be."

Kurenai stared at him with wide eyes. "Why?"

"Knowledge is precious. I am protective of my sources. I would never gain more if I was not." He paused, allowing himself a small smile. "That, and I remember my father's tale of a little girl with eyes like rubies, who gave him his first human hug. Farewell, Yuuhi-san."

* * *

Sasuke was expecting this mission to be nonstop action. But so far, the most exciting bit had been the kiss that Hinata planted on him when they'd split up in town. Now that they were actually married, she was growing a bit more adventurous in her kissing. Neither of them was ready to restart the Uchiha Clan just yet, and agreed that kissing was where things would have to stay until that time came. Although the first time Sasuke had felt the incredible sensation of Hinata's tongue shyly flicking over his lips, he had very nearly tackled her in his excitement. Perhaps the only thing that kept him sane was the realization that Hinata was his already, and some day, that would include every inch of her body as well. And he intended to inspect his property very, very thoroughly on that day.

But until then, he was stuck on this boring mission. He hadn't spotted a single mercenary or missing-nin in town, although he'd marked signs of their passing: clearly raided homes and businesses, and far too many people unwilling to trust strangers. Sasuke had stowed his forehead protector in his pack after the first old woman practically ran away after seeing it from a distance. If people were that afraid of ninja, he wasn't going to get any answers while identifying himself as one. But even after that, only a few people had been brave enough to speak to him.

Unfortunately, there seemed to be only one blond girl in the area, and the descriptions painted a far different picture from the fangirl that Sasuke remembered. According to the townspeople, this "Yugito" wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty, delighted in helping people she met on the street, and enjoyed fishing to the point where it almost seemed like an obsession. In short, she sounded nothing like Ino, and Sasuke couldn't believe that anyone might mistake one for the other as far as personality went. Nor did he think Zabuza would just parade hostages around in the open, even if he thought the townspeople would do nothing.

Sasuke was nearly ready to give up and track down Hinata when he finally got a lead, unexpected as it was. He was just passing a severely under stocked grocery store when Kikyou tightened her body around his taped left forearm.

"Sasuke-sama, Kagome has picked up the Yamanaka girl's scent."

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Kagome still hadn't gotten over being picked last, and insisted on not speaking directly to Sasuke. This made no sense, of course, since she probably hated Kikyou even more than she hated Sasuke, but apparently had no problem speaking to her sister, having accepted it as an inevitable cruelty of life. It was lucky that Gaara had thought to have the snakes smell some of Ino's clothing before they left Konoha.

"Ino has been here?" he asked.

"No. But she has been in contact with someone here. Look in front of you, about twenty feet."

Sasuke looked. There was a black-haired girl in a plain kimono walking away, a basket tucked under one arm. He made a point not to stare too long, and it was a good thing, too. Just as he lowered his eyes, the girl paused and glanced around, but didn't seem to spot him before she started walking a little faster. She had good instincts. No, she had sharpened instincts. So apparently he was on the right track.

"Is Kagome picking up anything else?" he muttered softly, following the girl at a good distance.

"Only that the girl is actually a very feminine boy. Nothing else important," Kikyou replied.

"It is TOO important!" Kagome insisted loudly, poking her head out of the tape on Sasuke's right arm. "His heart isn't evil!"

"That is not relevant to the situation. He is still a kidnapper," Kikyou sighed.

"But he's not a bad person!"

"And you think that means Sasuke-sama will hesitate to kill him if he attacks us?"

"He's a ninja, and he's holding Ino captive," Sasuke snapped. "He's dead already."

Kagome hissed angrily at them. "Ooooh! You black-hearted, stubborn-"

Sasuke shook his arm to get her attention. "You won't have any chance to save him if I drop you right here. Now be quiet before he hears us, turns to attack, and then gives me no choice but to kill him."

Kagome gave him one last, lingering glare before retreating into the tight space between the tape and his forearm.

"Do not concern yourself, Sasuke-sama," Kikyou said. "Kagome has always been especially sympathetic towards humans. But that also means she would not abandon the girl to torture and death. We will find her."

* * *

Gaara was one of the few shinobi who rarely bothered to factor environmental conditions into his plans. Having lived in the desert for the early portion of his life, he was used to both extreme heat and severe cold. Precipitation had never been an issue, and while Gaara now had more than enough control over his sand to turn off his automatic defense, he never did. For the most part, he simply trusted his mother to guard against any perceived threats, as they were usually of the same mind on what was dangerous and what wasn't.

Interestingly, there had been a small debate over the climate conditions in the Land of Waves. Karura maintained that any sort of prolonged humidity or dampness, while it would have little impact on their chakra-infused sand, would put a small but intolerable strain on Gaara's immune system, and cause him to draw on reserves of chakra that he normally wouldn't in the long run. Therefore, she proposed not only floating on a sand cloud to keep his feet dry, but filtering the humid air through a sort of sand screen.

Gaara had immediately pointed out that doing all of that would more than likely tax him faster than simply getting wet. He didn't quite have a basis for comparison, with Karura hovering over him every second and Anko literally letting him get away with murder, but Gaara was starting to suspect that his natural mother might be a bit overprotective of him. It was only now that the bad side of this started to stand out.

In the end, they compromised: Gaara used a sand cloud to travel over wet areas, and covered the lower half of his face with one of Kakashi's old masks. He firmly ignored his mother when she casually mentioned something about a dreadful combination of germs and mothballs.

Fortunately, it did not take him long to spot the group of caves he was looking for.

Unfortunately, there were a great deal more caves huddled together than Gaara had been expecting, and he had no intention of searching each one. He was seriously considering how practical it would be to simply empty out the caves with an enormous landslide.

Gaara had only been there for a few minutes when something in his stomach stirred uneasily, shifted, and settled in a more uncomfortable position. That was usually Shukaku's subconscious way of kicking him to point out some unseen danger. The trouble was that since Shukaku was asleep, Gaara was pretty much on his own when it came to determining just what he was supposed to be wary of.

"Please excuse my intrusion," said an unfamiliar voice ahead of him, "but I have been looking for you for a very long time."

Although that was almost never a good sign, Gaara did not immediately attack. The voice was decidedly female, and Gaara's track record with women was pretty good (Ino being the only one he'd had a substantial problem with since coming to Konoha). Anyway, just because Shukaku didn't like her, it didn't automatically make her an enemy (in some cases, it would even make her an ally).

Still, Gaara was greatly surprised when the girl finally stepped into view. For a wild moment, he was sure that Ino had somehow transformed into a halfway decent kunoichi, and managed to rescue herself from Zabuza. But then the differences made themselves known: the eyes were the wrong color, the girl showed no sign of fear or anxiety, and most telling of all, she was wearing a violet Cloud forehead protector. Also, where Ino's last outfit had exposed her skin in several places, this girl was dressed more like himself: solid black with nothing but her head exposed, although her blond hair extended down her back in a neat, tightly bound braid. The first impression that popped into Gaara's head was that of a small kitten batting the end of her hair back and forth between its paws, though he could not even begin to imagine why.

"What do you want with me?" Gaara asked slowly.

The girl smiled in a way that was both friendly and evasive. "Nothing at the moment, Gaara-san," she said, inclining her head politely. And then, to his growing shock, she nodded twice more as she added, "Karura-san. Yashamaru-san."

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "How did you-"

"Your power is over sand. I deal in souls. I can see your family all too clearly. It is within my power to do so."

"You are... like me?" he whispered.

She smiled a little wider. "Yes and no. My demon has been far kinder to me in our time together. But I trust you do not exactly have time to get into that right now. I am here to guide you to the Leaf-nin that you seek."

"The Cloud is not allied with the Leaf," Gaara said at once, eyeing her warily.

"True," she agreed, "but I think you will agree that in our respective cases, sometimes our allegiance is to no one but ourselves. You do not have to accept my aid, but it would allow you to complete your mission much faster."

It sounded a little too good to be true to Gaara. The Sandaime had said nothing about Cloud-nin being involved, so it was possible that this girl was acting alone. Every Leaf-nin alive knew that most Cloud-nin would attack on sight, if for no other reason than there was a standing grudge against the Hyuuga Clan in particular and Konoha in general. But at the very least, this girl was not lying about having a demon of her own. As the least powerful of the tailed beasts, Shukaku had every reason to be wary of the rest. Gaara did not trust this girl, but he was in no hurry to make an enemy of her, either.

"If I take you up on your offer," he said at last, "what do you want in return?"

"Only that you remember this day well, if I should ever ask for your help," the girl replied. "As you have guessed, I have no real reason to help you. I do not expect you to trust me, or for this truce to last any longer than today. But we also have no reason to fight each other. There are enough people committed to destroying us as it is. Including us, there is only one other left alive."

"Uzumaki Naruto," Gaara murmured.

The girl stared at him curiously. "You have met?"

"He is in Suna. We were... exchanged years ago."

"That explains many rumors I have heard." She closed her eyes briefly. "Your female teammate, Hinata, has made contact with Shikamaru."

Gaara was instantly on his guard again. "You know this how?"

"The Nibi can transfer a portion of her mind into temporary clones. One is with Shikamaru now, and everything it learns is fed back to me. I have been staying with Tazuna's family in order to protect them. They are my only priority at the moment."

"I agree to your terms, for now," Gaara said.

The girl nodded. "My name is Yugito. I will take you to your comrades."

**End of Chapter 17.**

* * *

Next Chapter:

Ino is saved by the last person she expected to do so. Hinata finds a sword, but it already has an owner. Sasuke learns not to underestimate feminine boys. The Kazekage decides to reduce Kankurou's role in the upcoming invasion, but stumbles upon an even more intricate plot in the process.

Endnotes:

Yugito's jutsu:

**Neko Bunshin (Cat Clone):**

Similar to the Kage Bunshin, except knowledge is sent back to the user at regular intervals, without the clone being destroyed.

I got the specific animals out of an old book titled "North American Wildlife," although most of them DO live in forest areas. I tried to assign each clan an animal that had some connection to them in color or habit (woodpeckers peck wood, Uchiha burn wood… oh yeah, and they're red and black). Supposedly deer actually do make noises (sound effects from leaping into traffic don't count).

Dragonball fanatics, don't get too excited. Sure, I borrowed a name or two for my monkeys, but so did Kishimoto (and so did Toriyama, for that matter). And they are actual summon monkeys here, not alien were-monkeys.


	18. Monkey, Dragon, and Sword

Notes: Since I already mentioned Obito being dead, I'm not going to try and pass Tobi off as a brainwashed version of him. In other words, those two are in no way the same person here.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 18: Monkey, Dragon, and Sword**

* * *

_Land of Waves - Unmarked Cave - March_

This man was the least violent of the ones who had raped her repeatedly. He did not like to look into her eyes, and he sometimes awkwardly stroked her hair afterwards. Ino still did not quite understand how he could be so tender when he was raping someone at the same time, and instead of just making her feel dirty and hurt, her made her feel confused and sick.

Ino closed her eyes as he climbed on top of her and lowered his face to hers. She knew he would not care or stop either way, so long as she continued to at least faintly resemble the girl he imagined she was during their sessions.

But the usual clumsy, sake-drenched kiss never came, and for a few seconds, Ino dared to hope that he had grown tired of her.

Then cruel reality kicked in as the full weight of his warm body crushed her naked form against the cold cave floor, and a warm liquid sprayed over her face.

Ino's fury exploded at the realization that some drunken thug had just spat on her. Her eyes snapped open as she whipped her head to the side, her mouth fully prepared to give him a piece of her mind, but there was a slight problem.

The man was staring blankly at her with his mouth wide open... but he was now beside her. Yet Ino could still feel the uncomfortable weight of his body on top of her. How was it he was in two places at once? None of the men had ever been creative enough to bother with ninjutsu around her, so why would they start now?

Of course, when neither the man's frozen expression nor his heavy body moved in the least, Ino began to see that her first impression had been a little off.

The man WAS in two places at once: his body was on top of her, and his head was lying next to her on the floor. The liquid soaking her face wasn't his saliva, it was the blood spraying from his headless neck.

The only thing that kept Ino from screaming was the idea of tasting his blood. Not stopping to consider what might've happened, she rolled the body off of her with some effort and quickly sat up, only to stare into the face of the last person she'd expected to see.

"Yamanaka Ino," Subaku no Gaara said flatly from where he stood at the cave entrance. "We leave in two minutes. I suggest you get dressed. It may be a long time before you are able to properly clothe yourself again."

Ino blinked. There was a neatly folded stack of black and gray clothing at her feet, complete with black ninja sandals. She only wondered for a moment how Gaara had gotten his hands on a kunoichi's outfit (and how he'd managed to cut off a man's head without her noticing), but decided not to question it for the moment. Ino quickly pulled on the shirt and pants (they were about a size too big, and much looser than anything she owned), stuffed her feet into the sandals, and was ready to go inside a minute. It was, without a doubt, the fastest she'd ever gotten ready to do anything. But she didn't know if she was just that happy to be relatively free (she didn't completely trust Gaara's intentions, despite his being a fellow Leaf-nin), or if she just didn't want Gaara seeing her naked any longer than was necessary.

"I will need you to show me where they are keeping Asuma," Gaara said suddenly. As he spoke, two long, thick tentacles of sand emerged from his gourd, snatched up the dead man's head and body, and... well, the important thing was that there was no trace of either once the sand was done with them, or of the blood that had been spilled, and Ino was in no hurry to find out how that worked.

She just nodded, not trusting her voice to work. The last time she'd run into Gaara, he'd tried to kill her. She suspected that he hadn't forgotten that, either, or maybe he just made everyone this uncomfortable on purpose.

When two minutes had passed, Gaara stepped out of the cave and looked at her expectantly.

She hesitated for a second, wondering if she should warn him that the rest of Zabuza's men might be in the area, but she couldn't really see how that would matter to Gaara. Instead, Ino hurried out of the cave, keeping her eyes firmly on the one that Haku had always taken her back to. It was hard to focus on that, though, knowing that Gaara was just a few steps behind her the whole way. She wanted to ask how he'd found her, but she also didn't want to give Gaara any reason to regret saving her.

One thing that Ino did notice along the way was that there was no sign of struggle. Either Gaara hadn't been seen, or all of his victims had gone into his gourd like all the rumors said. Personally, Ino preferred to believe the latter, but again, she didn't dare ask.

* * *

_Suna - Kazekage's Office - March_

"I'm replacing you with a Sound-nin for the invasion. I don't believe you're capable of playing your part convincingly."

There was no change in Kankurou's face as he continued to kneel before the Kazekage. Off to the side, he could see Orochimaru with that ever-present smirk on his face, as if he knew something that no one else did.

"You have not managed to impress me with your performance for some time, Kankurou," the Kazekage said, glaring down at him. "Can you give me any reason to rethink my decision?"

Kankurou simply stood up. With his recent enhancements, he was nearly a head taller than the Kazekage, a fact that did not go unnoticed. "Am I no longer worthy to carry out your will, Kazekage-sama? If not, perhaps you should take issue with the man who fathered me."

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed. "You forget your place, Kankurou. So far, I have merely reduced your role in the invasion. I can still remove you entirely from the plans and restrict you to D-rank missions for the rest of your days."

"Then there is nothing more to say," Kankurou replied. He yanked off his hood and forehead protector, dropping both onto the desk.

The Kazekage's eyes flicked down only for an instant. By the time they moved up to focus on Kankurou again, a clear, warm liquid that splashed into his face had blinded him.

"Sanseigan," (Acidic Rock) Kankurou said. He calmly wiped his mouth on his arm as he watched the Kazekage scream and thrash wildly, tearing desperately at his face. "It only burns for a moment. After that, your body will be completely paralyzed. But don't worry. You'll still get to see Konoha fall. You'll just be seeing it as my newest puppet."

Orochimaru chuckled softly as Kankurou glanced at him. "I must admit that I thought you might need some help with this. Your master has trained you well."

"I was preparing for this day long before I met my master," Kankurou admitted, narrowing his eyes as the Kazekage finally fell to the floor and grew still. Satisfied, he stepped over the body, opened a small closet against the wall, and drew out a spare set of white and blue Kazekage robes. "All he had to do was show me how to preserve the body."

"So you really are going to make him into a puppet?" Orochimaru asked, sounding both curious and concerned.

"You don't need to worry. The process goes a lot faster if you actually knew the person."

"I would've thought it'd be the other way around in your case. He was your father, after all."

Kankurou shook his head. "Gaara was more of a brother to me than this man was a father. I said I knew him, not I liked or even loved him. Gaara may have killed my mother, but this man gave the order. This way, he finally serves a purpose to me."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "And what will you do, when the time comes for you to face Gaara again?"

"Simple," Kankurou answered, his steady expression not flickering in the slightest. "I'll show him he can't just threaten me anymore, and expect me to back down. It's time he started listening to his older brother, even if I have to beat the lesson into him."

* * *

When Sarutobi Asuma lifted his head and saw Sabaku no Gaara standing in front of him, he thought he was dreaming. Although he didn't even want to consider the implications of why Gaara was in his dreams at all, and why the boy was wearing one of Kakashi's old masks.

Then Ino peeked out from behind Gaara's shoulder, and he knew that the relieved, hopeful expression on her bloodstained face was far too genuine for it to be a dream.

Gaara didn't speak as he stepped forward, and Asuma couldn't help tensing as the boy's arm right lengthened and transformed into a sinister, curved blade right before his eyes. But Gaara only tapped the tip against the chains, and within seconds, Asuma collapsed into a swirling pool of sand as the metal almost instantly melted into tiny grains of sand.

Asuma was still gaping when Ino launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder. It was difficult to believe that she was the same girl he always saw shouting at Shikamaru and Chouji. Then the weight of what had been done to her, and how it would forever change her life, finally hit him, and he could do nothing more than wrap his arm around her, and pray he was an acceptable substitute until he got her home to her father.

And if Yamanaka Inoichi killed him on sight, well, it was more than Asuma felt he deserved at the moment.

Gaara had turned away, not of respect or disgust for their closeness, but to keep an eye on the cave entrance. The sand had collected at his feet and was almost pacing like a living thing, eager for further use.

Asuma had no doubt that Gaara was a killer. So was he when it became necessary, but that hadn't kept him from getting captured. He could take no more chances with Ino, or his other students. He needed them safe now, and there was only one way to do that.

Sending chakra to his free hand, he slapped it against his chest, then slammed it against the cave floor.

Ino looked on in confusion and fear as a large, stone monkey statue rose from the ground, then shrieked as the stone fell away to reveal an actual brown-furred monkey taller and more solidly built than Asuma.

The monkey blinked a few times and scratched its head, which was topped with an alarming amount of jet black hair, with a few streaks of white around the ends. "Hey, Asu-kun, if you wanted to play Hide and Seek, you should've just called my youngest son. Goten loves that game."

"No game this time, Goku nii-san," Asuma said, smiling briefly. "I need you to protect my students. They've been hurt enough."

"Sure, no problem," Goku agreed, reaching out to pat Ino's head a little roughly. "I don't think I know that one," he added, nodding at Gaara's back.

"He's an ally," Asuma replied. "I think one of your smaller leaps should land us in the village we're aiming for."

"Is that all? Well, if you're sure," Goku sighed, picking up Asuma and Ino before tucking them under his arms. Again, he looked at Gaara expectantly. "Am I coming back to get him, or is he going to climb on my back?"

"I have other matters to attend to," Gaara said quietly. "Go."

"If you mean Zabuza and his apprentice," Asuma began, "they-"

"With all due respect," Gaara interrupted, "if I did not already possess the tools to defeat them, then nothing you could say would make the outcome any different. And so far, I have seen nothing that would indicate cause for concern on my part."

Asuma was about to protest, but Gaara had already stepped out of the cave and vanished from view.

"Well, no point in wasting time," Goku said, and with that, he leaped straight up.

Ino screamed as they burst through the roof of the cave and soared into the air, even though she'd felt none of the impact. Just the idea of them being as high as they were, moving as fast as they were, scared her silly, and she'd had enough nightmares come to life recently to last her... well, forever.

Asuma, on the other hand, smiled as the cool, damp air caressed his face. They were free, and soon, they would be going home.

* * *

Momochi Zabuza did not believe in premonitions, visions, or anything like that. He dealt entirely in things he could see, feel, and kill, and he trusted his gut.

The first time he'd laid eyes on Hoshigaki Kisame, his gut had told him to learn all he could, and get out fast. To this day, he had no idea when or if he would ever cross paths with Kisame again, and if the shark-faced man would smile and shake his hand, or smile and cut him in half. Kisame wouldn't blame Zabuza for turning his back on the Mist or the Seven Swordsmen: Kisame had done the former for similar reasons, and while membership in their little group was a testament to their skill, none of them had exactly been willing comrades. It was more like two or three of them had been forced to work together a couple of times, and somehow the name stuck. The Mizukage had pounced on it, desperate for a display of his village's power (he got all the credit, naturally), and they'd all been well compensated to go along with it, at first. But that was another story. The point was that Kisame and Zabuza had never had a falling out, but in their line of work, a battle to the death could start over catching the right guy on the wrong day, or just in the wrong mood.

Zabuza's gut had also made the choice to take Haku along with him.

Now his gut was telling him two things: there was a good (but bad) reason that he couldn't find any of Gato's hired thugs or the prisoners, and that he should not wait for Haku to return from shopping for supplies in town.

The day would only get worse from there, Zabuza could tell already. Gato was probably moving against him as he stood there thinking. The prisoners were gone, and Haku would have said something if that were his doing. Curiously, though, the chains hadn't been broken: they'd been missing entirely.

The best option right now was to find Haku, and figure out what to do from there. Maybe there was still time to recover the prisoners. The girl wouldn't get far without Haku's healing touch, and they'd kept Asuma weak enough where he wouldn't be too much of a threat if he'd escaped. On foot, Zabuza was certain he could find them in a matter of hours. If Gato had taken them, though, he wasn't just going to give them back. If they had escaped with help, that was even worse, because at least Zabuza knew Gato's tricks.

The funny thing was, Kisame would slash first and never ask questions. But more often than not, he'd be right. Maybe Samehada did the thinking for him, maybe he trusted his gut, too, or maybe he was just extremely lucky. Either way, Zabuza was never more aware of the difference in ability between them, and it worried him. At least Samehada always listened to Kisame. Zabuza could no longer say that about his weapons... either of them.

Cursing softly under his breath, Zabuza snatched up his sword (ignoring the sharp pains that appeared in his fingers as they squeezed the hilt), and made up his mind. If this was the day when his life fell to pieces, he'd sure as hell be shattering someone else's along the way.

* * *

_Konoha - March_

Hanabi had suffered from mild insomnia for most of her life, though the exact reasons tended to vary greatly. Doctors had first blamed it on hypersensitivity to noise and light, then emotional stress, then allergies (although the very idea that anyone could be allergic to sleep still made Hanabi want to hit that particular doctor), and finally a combination of all of the above.

The truly odd thing was that the few times that her father had allowed Hanabi to sleep in Hinata's bed (or the many times that Hanabi had snuck there on her own), both girls had slept soundly through the night in each other's arms. For all Hinata's failings, she made an excellent pillow, and Hanabi never had a problem telling her so. For her part, Hinata had only smiled graciously, and assured Hanabi that she was just as nice to hold.

Therefore, the idea that Hanabi might be unable to sleep now, because Hinata was away, was not quite as ridiculous as the younger sister would have preferred to believe. Certainly she missed Hinata a little, but that was normal. But there were other things to occupy her time: training, interpreting her visions, and seeking out more of her mother's ghostly allies.

The problem was not that Hanabi could not sleep, but that she would not. Her body simply did not tire at the expected times, and she had never been the sort of child to just lie in bed and hope for sleep to come. As such, Hiashi had reluctantly allowed Hanabi (and several guards of her choosing) to go for late night walks through the village. They did not tire her, but they did bring Hanabi into a sort of restful state that only the familiar warmth of her sister could summon otherwise.

Surprisingly, most of the Branch House did not have a problem with being ordered to accompany Hanabi on these trips. Of course, no one was quite brave enough to attack a group of highly-trained, alert Hyuuga, no matter what time of day it was. So the work was easy, and Hanabi herself didn't ask for much (only that they didn't make it TOO obvious that she was under heavy guard; she didn't want to be thought of as weak, and none of them wanted to hold her hand the whole time).

The destinations were always chosen spontaneously to avoid security leaks, and Hanabi almost never visited the same sites twice (unless, of course, there was a particular ghost of interest).

Most of Konoha's children had only gazed up at the Hokage Monument from afar. After all, it was only a ninja who could truly appreciate what the Hokage did for his people every single day. The civilians only knew the Hokage as their local hero, protector, and a living symbol of military might. But it was the ninja that saw their great leader in his darkest moments: of doubt, despair, and fury.

There were, of course, safe routes up to the top of the monument, but most ninja above genin never bothered with them. They were generally, unofficially reserved for civilians, genin, and tourists. This night, Hanabi took one of those paths, largely because she hoped counting the many steps would put her to sleep.

It was not to be, however. As Hanabi and her escorts neared the top of the monument, she heard a rather unusual sound: that of a crying child. Most children who came to the monument were either awed or amused by the idea of standing on a giant stone face, but Hanabi could not imagine why one might cry. Even more unusual was the fact that none of her guards seemed to hear the child's sobs.

As Hanabi finally emerged from the stairway and took her first steps onto the head of the Sandaime Hokage, she finally understood why she alone had been able to hear the child.

He was curled up under a ratty-looking white coat a few sizes too big for him, one arm thrown over his face in a weak attempt to hide his tears from the world. Even from a distance, the main thing that stood out about him was his bright blond hair, which was spiky, long, and fell well past his shaking shoulders.

Hanabi knew at once that he was dead: every few seconds, his entire form would flicker, or suddenly half of him would seem completely transparent. She had never seen a spirit so obviously damaged, and her first thought was that he must have died in some horrible way that had wounded both his body and soul.

"You need not bother, child," said a voice behind her. "Nothing you could say or do will help him."

Hanabi was not surprised to find another ghost, but she was absolutely shocked by his identity. "Shodai-sama?"

The Shodai Hokage said nothing as he stepped right through one of her guards and walked over to the crying boy, kneeling briefly to pull the coat a little higher and better cover the child. "It has been many years since any of the Hyuuga could see spirits. I began to suspect that they had lost that particular ability. Your Uchiha blood must have awakened early on."

The blood froze in Hanabi's veins. To mistake a Hyuuga for a Uchiha was like, well, calling a wolf a dog. Related, to be certain, and very similar, but distinctly different. She assumed, correctly, that the Hokage was not trying to offend her, and forced herself to calm down. "What do you mean?"

"No, they would not have told you, would they?" he asked softly, a dark look passing over his face. "As the Uchiha were created from the Hyuuga, so, too, have many of the current Hyuuga Clan descended from Hyuuga-Uchiha pairings. There was... an experiment of sorts, to determine whether a new generation of ninja with advanced skills could be bred. The results were astounding, yet unfortunate. Mixing the arrogance of the Hyuuga with the ferocity of the Uchiha often created killing machines convinced of their own right to rule whatever they saw fit to claim. One of them decided that Konoha was his, and it fell to me to prove him wrong. I did, barely, but the wounds from that battle were directly responsible for my eventual death. He was just the first."

"And you're saying my family is like that?" Hanabi asked.

"Not all of them, no. After seeing the things that these children were capable of, most of the Hyuuga council had them exterminated or sealed. But there were others, especially among the Uchiha, that went to great lengths to help the children survive. Perhaps they actually cared, and perhaps it was sheer clan pride and greed that would not let anyone but themselves kill their own. But even after the matter was settled, there were still some Uchiha and Hyuuga that displayed extraordinary talents, even for them. One of those was your mother."

That part actually seemed to fit with how her father had reacted to her new choice of fighting style. Probably he had only paired her with Neji because Neji would be unable to refuse a direct order from the clan head. But this also meant that the majority of Hanabi's vision problems did not come from her merely being sickly, but from being part Uchiha. Her father had probably known that, and yet he'd allowed her to believe that such things were the fault of her own weakness.

Suddenly, Hinata was starting to look like the smarter sister.

"Where have they taken him, Hotaru-chan?"

Hanabi blinked, only to find the crying boy staring at her, a pitiful expression on his face. "What?"

"Where have they taken my friend?" the boy asked, wiping away his tears. "We always used to play together, and now he's gone! They made him leave, I just know it! They were all so mean to him..."

Hanabi looked to the Shodai for an explanation.

"He knew your mother, once," the Shodai sighed. "He must believe you are her. After all, if he was reduced to this childlike form, I suppose he thinks it could happen to someone else."

"Who is he?" Hanabi asked.

The Shodai did not answer, nor did he have to.

In that moment, the boy slowly walked off, dragging the coat behind him. But Hanabi could still see "Yondaime" emblazoned on the back in black, bold strokes.

"What happened to him?" she whispered in disbelief.

"He is half gone," the Shodai answered. "Part of him is still trapped within the seal that cost him his life. And the rest remains here, unable to pass on until he sees the face of the one he misses most."

"Uzumaki Naruto," Hanabi said with certainty. "He's the boy that Hinata prays for."

The Shodai smiled faintly. "It is good to know that you do not cling to the ways of old, as much of your clan does. That may just save you, in the long run. But I would expect nothing less of one of Hyuuga Hotaru's daughters. I've been told that she was a very powerful and perceptive kunoichi in her time."

Hanabi frowned. "How is it I've never heard anything like that before?"

"Isn't it obvious? Your clan prides itself on remaining pure, keeping the power of the Byakugan exclusive to them. Those who managed to awaken their Uchiha blood were thought of as tainted, despite or because of their greater power. They either had to conceal their abilities, or take their chances among the Uchiha. Your mother stopped using her gifts so that she and her children would not be punished. But the fact remains that your clan elders would rather pretend that you are sick and weak, before they would admit that your Uchiha blood is causing certain changes in you, changes that will most likely make you more powerful than any of them."

A great weight was lifted from Hanabi's heart. All of her life, she had been told that she was flawed, imperfect, and destined to die early on, weak and pitiful. It had been hard to believe otherwise, when Hinata had been the only one saying anything different.

"You are so very special, Hanabi-chan," Hinata would whisper as she gently wiped away her younger sister's tears. "I just hope that one day, you are able to see in yourself what I see in you, each time I look at you."

It was meaningless mush, plain and simple, but now Hinata's words became something more. For the first time in her life, Hanabi did not believe it was her destiny to become great by defying the odds. Now, she simply believed that she would become great, because the potential was in her blood twice over.

She was still rethinking everything her clan had ever told her (especially the manner of the deaths of the Yondaime and the Kyuubi) when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Please return to the compound now, Hanabi-sama. Your father is... concerned."

Hanabi blinked and looked up to find Neji gazing down at her. Without thinking, she smiled brightly at him, to such an extent that he drew back slightly. "That sounds like a good idea."

"I did not expect you to agree so easily," Neji admitted, "so I brought this to persuade you." With his free hand, he drew out Gaara's stuffed bear from behind his back. "Was I mistaken in assuming it might help you sleep?"

Ordinarily, Hanabi would be angry that Neji had gone into her room and removed anything, even if it was just to bring it to her himself. But now that she was armed with the knowledge of her heritage, nothing could spoil her good mood, for the moment. "No, you were not," she replied softly, carefully taking the bear and holding it to her chest. She slowly inhaled the peculiar scent that clung to the bear: what she thought of as sand, sunlight, and Gaara. "Thank you, Neji."

He nodded, a curious look on his face. Perhaps he was wondering why she had not pulled away from him yet... and for that matter, why he was still touching her at all. Slowly, he let his hand drop away, and turned to head back to the compound alone.

"I wish you would walk with me, Neji," Hanabi said suddenly. "I want to hear about... your teammates."

Neji paused and turned back to her, an unreadable expression on his face. "MY teammates?" he asked, certain he'd heard her wrong. "Tenten and Rock Lee?" He was almost positive that she'd selected a topic on random; she couldn't possibly know what she was asking.

Hanabi nodded. "You never talk about them. What are they like?"

If she was that determined to have a conversation with him, Neji could hardly refuse her. And it was probably better that members of the clan saw them spending time together willingly. Still, it was going to take some effort to not sum his teammates up in a few short, unflattering words.

"Rock Lee is a glutton for punishment," Neji began as he fell in step with Hanabi, "with the strength of an ox, and only half of the brainpower. And then there is how he insists on dressing..."

* * *

_Location Unknown_

"Even numbers are better."

This, incredible as it might seem, was what Tobi had told Zetsu, upon being asked why he wanted to join Akatsuki.

Zetsu had simply stared at him, and it was one of the few times that both halves of his face had been in complete agreement: utter disbelief.

Apparently, though, the decision had not been entirely up to Zetsu, because a few hours later, Tobi had stood in the presence of The Leader. And while no one had said it, Tobi got the definite impression that one did not stand before The Leader unless they were being offered a position, or unless they were to be immediately killed by The Leader.

He hadn't been killed, luckily.

He had been given "something of a trial run," according the to The Leader (Tobi was almost sure he had a name, but the man was just so... "leader-like" that it seemed silly to call him anything else). Tobi had expected to spar (or perhaps fight to the death) with one of the current members (Deidara seemed to especially dislike him for some reason, and Tobi couldn't help being nervous around Itachi, though Kisame had assured him that was just common sense for most people).

But it was nothing like that, not really. Although when the sentence had been handed down, Kisame had groaned sympathetically, and Deidara had laughed so hard that he accidentally blew up a small portion of the room. Itachi had smirked in a way that was both knowing and amused, and Hidan... well, he hadn't done anything but lay there (Tobi was pretty sure he was sick or something).

The Leader had simply gestured for Tobi to follow him, and led him into a small, dimly lit room, where a tiny girl with at least twenty-six different highlights in her hair (that was as high as Tobi had been able to count before he got dizzy and fell over) was very carefully filling up a coloring book with, Tobi would later be forced to admit, some of the best damn coloring he had ever seen.

"This," The Leader had said ominously (but then, he said everything that way, and it was part of what made him so leader-like), "is Hatsumi. You will play with her, until she decides that you are good enough to join Akatsuki. If you keep her amused, you will join us. If she becomes bored, even for a moment, you will die."

Tobi wasn't too worried even then. He'd noticed, just after he'd fallen over, in fact, that Hatsumi had muffled a little giggle behind her tiny hands. Falling over was definitely a good thing to keep in mind.

After that, The Leader had left them alone. Tobi had introduced himself, shook her hand, and fell over again, just to see if the novelty had worn off. It hadn't, nor had it failed the next fifty-seven times he'd done it.

Hatsumi was easy, he'd decided five minutes after meeting her. She mostly wanted to play games, color, and sing songs that didn't really make sense unless you put a little effort into believing they did. She especially liked to ride around on Tobi's shoulders while he walked.

Frankly, Tobi was having a little trouble believing that Hatsumi was a member of Akatsuki. But she did have her own little black cape with red clouds on it, although it was covered with so many rainbow stickers that you wouldn't know that unless you looked really closely. She also got away with making funny faces at Itachi, and Tobi knew perfectly well that Itachi had killed people just for breathing his air.

Hatsumi seemed to have odd nicknames for every member of the organization. Itachi was "Birdie," Kisame was "Smileyface," Deidara was "Hot Potato," Sasori was "General Dolly," Zetsu was "Piranha Plant," Hidan was "Ghoulie," and Kakuzu was "Valentine." The Leader had been dubbed "Captain Awesome," and Tobi earned the honor of being called "Big Buddy" (although his "official" title was apparently "Hami-chan's Big Brother/Buddy," and under no circumstances was he allowed to forget the importance of the slash).

Nearly a month had passed before Tobi figured out that spending time with Hatsumi was a very large part of the initiation process. A powerful shinobi had to have patience, and unless you had the mind of a child like Tobi did, Hatsumi could actually be something of a pest. He had no idea how Deidara had managed to pass with his explosive temper, but it was possible that, like Zetsu, he'd simply joined before Hatsumi had. How they managed to put up with her now, though, was a continued condition of their membership. The previous week, Hatsumi had braided Deidara's hair, put doll clothes on some of Sasori's spare puppets, and covered Hidan's face in a truly disgusting amount of make-up.

Tobi actually dreaded the day when they would be separated: he was honestly very fond of the girl, and was pretty sure she felt the same way about him. They were both pleasantly surprised when The Leader decided they would become a permanent, active Akatsuki duo. Their first mission was to confirm the status of Gobi no Houkou, who had mysteriously vanished in the midst of a battle with Kakuzu and Hidan.

It was the first opportunity where Tobi got to see exactly why Hatsumi was an S-ranked kunoichi. She'd taken three steps outside of the underground cavern that served as one of Akatsuki's many hideouts, scratched a pink dragon tattoo on her forearm, and then actually turned INTO a full-grown dragon (it was green, thankfully). Tobi had merely climbed on without a word, and off they went. It was not a henge, either, since more than once during the trip, the Hatsumi dragon swooped down to snatch up random forest creatures in her jaws for a quick bite.

According to their information, the battle had occurred at the base of the southern mountains surrounding Earth Country. It was easy to tell that Kakuzu and Hidan had been there, too: many uprooted trees and overturned boulders bore deep slashes from a scythe, and much of the area simply looked as if it had been obliterated, and was only recently starting to recover.

The instant Tobi climbed off her back, Hatsumi changed back into a tiny girl and dropped to her knees, sniffing the ground intently. She looked a great deal like a cute little puppy, and Tobi absently wondered if she had a dog tattoo, or if she just preferred to do it this way.

"I smell our big, strong doggy," Hatsumi announced after a few minutes, "but I also smell our cute little kitty cat."

Tobi frowned behind his mask. "Kakuzu and Hidan didn't say anything about seeing the Nibi here while they fought the Gobi, Hami-chan."

Hatsumi shrugged. "Maybe they didn't know she was here? You know how they get when they're excited. Plus, she's really good at hiding. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they both died right here..."

"Which means they both got away," Tobi sighed. "She helped him escape. The Leader won't like this, and neither will Kakuzu. And since Hidan isn't really alive for him to murder, he'll go after the messenger..."

"We don't HAVE to go back right away, Big Buddy," Hatsumi murmured, a smile spreading across her tiny face. "Hot Potato showed me how to make rock candy out of real rocks! Want to?"

"Er... won't The Leader be mad if we don't report back right away?"

"Haven't you noticed?" Hatsumi asked with an impish grin. "Nobody can ever get mad at me! Now, come on!" She grabbed his much larger hand and dragged him towards some particularly large rocks.

Tobi glanced back at the battleground, wondering if he was making the right choice. The Leader would definitely want to know that Gobi no Houkou had not been destroyed, as they'd feared. "Um, Hami-chan, shouldn't we at least tell him that the Gobi is still alive?"

"Oh, he's not alive," Hatsumi said at once. "He was dead when he got away."

Tobi blinked a few times. "Huh?"

"He was dead," Hatsumi repeated. "That's HOW he got away. The kitty cat killed him, and then she took him away. She can do that, y'know." She tilted her head slightly to the left. "I bet she found a way to do it that didn't hurt so much. They liked each other a lot, I think. Like we do!"

"Oh," Tobi said, more confused than ever. "Good for them?"

"Yup!" Hatsumi chirped. "Now the trick is to get all the dirt off of the bottoms, so the candy doesn't taste yucky..."

* * *

Haku had been aware of the other ninja right away. The boy was good, too: not even a hint of chakra flare, and he'd mostly reigned in his killing intent. But Haku had been a ninja for a lot longer, and he'd trained under Zabuza for so long that his senses could put those of some animals to shame. In short, he knew when he was being followed by anything or anyone.

And despite the fact that everything about the boy pretty much screamed "ninja," Haku was in no hurry to get rid of him. If nothing else, he was unwilling to ruin his disguise in the middle of town, and he knew the boy hadn't attacked him yet for similar reasons. On the other hand, Haku wasn't about to lead an enemy ninja back to Zabuza's base, either. There was a very good chance that this ninja was looking for Ino and Asuma, but Haku was still only willing to let one of them go. He didn't expect the ninja to accept that, though.

So instead of taking his usual route back to the caves, Haku headed for what was now to remain an uncompleted bridge: Tazuna's last work in progress. Haku's goal was not the bridge itself, however, but what lay underneath and around it: water. If he would have to subdue an unknown enemy, best to do it on his own terms. With a plentiful supply of water and moist air, there was no way that Haku could fail.

Very little of Haku's plan depended on the ninja unknowingly walking into his trap, so he was not really concerned when the boy hesitated to enter the slight mist surrounding the shoreline and the lower portion of the bridge. If he followed, Haku would be ready. If he did not, Haku would simply move on and warn Zabuza that it was no longer safe there. Assured that nothing could go wrong, Haku sent chakra to his feet and started across the water's surface at a brisk pace, being sure to stay in the shadow of the bridge.

He had only gone a couple of feet when he finally sensed the chakra flare. Deciding it was better to turn and fight, Haku slipped his hand into his basket, plucking some hidden senbon from the side. He needn't have bothered, for the enemy that Haku turned to face was not a ninja, or at least it was not just a ninja.

Haku's eyes widened at the sight of a huge serpent of mud heading straight for him, slicing through the water with startling speed. Perched on its neck was the ninja that Haku HAD been expecting, his face frozen in a fierce scowl. Haku could already tell that even if he attacked the ninja, the snake was traveling so fast, and was so solidly constructed that it would keep coming for him... but, that was assuming that the water remained water.

Haku's attacks had been praised as works of art, lethal masterpieces, and death immortalized in ice. But that was only after Zabuza had refined him. It was still very easy to recall the first time that he had used his power over ice to instinctively lash out against his own father, and it was that wild talent that rushed to the surface now. There were no hand seals, no careful conservation of chakra, and little if any control. One moment, Haku had been standing on water, and the next, it was frozen over as far as the eye could see... and that was only the beginning.

The first ice spear erupted from the frozen water and impaled the mud serpent's head. The mud construct stopped moving, but by then three more ice spears had risen up, tearing through its long body as if it were paper. The ninja obviously sensed what would happen next, and dove aside just before his mud serpent was stabbed to pieces by a multitude of ice spears.

"Impressive," Haku said quietly as they both watched the great snake fall. "You seem to be very determined to follow me."

The ninja glared at him. "I don't care about you. Just tell me what you've done with Ino."

Haku hesitated at that. The use of Ino's personal name, instead of her family's, implied a familiarity that left him feeling guilty... and, strangely jealous. But he forced himself to calm down. "I will release her to you, but only her."

"No. Both of them are coming with me," the Leaf-nin growled, his black eyes flashing red for an instant.

"Then it appears we have a problem."

"No problem," the ninja disagreed. "I kill you and take them."

Haku's lips curved into a grim smile. "Better than you have tried and failed."

"Then it's a good thing I'm smarter. So-"

"NO, Sasuke! You just CAN'T kill him!" a voice wailed.

Haku blinked several times as a red and white striped snake poked its head out of bandages on the ninja's forearm.

"For the last time, Kagome," Sasuke hissed, glaring at the snake, "stay out of it!"

"But he's good! He really is! How can you just say you're going to kill him?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that I might not be one of the good guys?" Sasuke snapped.

"Constantly," Kagome muttered, "but that's no reason to go and prove me right!"

"He knows were Ino is! You DO remember the girl we're supposed to be saving, right?"

Haku debated interrupting them, but decided against it. The snake was on his side, it seemed, just as that strange Yugito girl had claimed to be. Funny how he was picking up unlikely allies left and right these days, but the one meaningful connection he'd worked on for years was pretty much dead already. There was no doubt in Haku's mind that this would be his last mission with Zabuza. He could not follow a man that had turned away from his once honorable purpose. Not if it meant girls like Ino would suffer for no good reason.

And speaking of Ino, he needed to get back to her. Gato's men should be handling enemy ninja, and it would keep them away from Ino for a while. Perhaps he could even convince Zabuza to temporarily suspend their "privileges" with her for allowing an enemy to get this close to the base. At this point, it was all he could do for her.

Well, he COULD just lead this Sasuke straight to Ino, but Sasuke would no doubt get greedy and demand Asuma's release, too. So one way or another, they would have to settle their differences like true shinobi.

A true shinobi never allows his opponents to see his jutsu, if he can help it. Therefore, Haku did not feel the least bit guilty about forming a one-handed seal behind his back, quickly shaping thousands of tiny but effective senbon out of ice, and pointing them all towards Sasuke, who was still arguing with Kagome. She wouldn't need to worry about Haku getting killed anymore, if only because she and her owner were seconds away from their own end.

"Goodbye," Haku murmured as the ice senbon flew through the air and struck their target. He'd always preferred that attack as a finisher, frankly. If the body wasn't found quickly enough by a sharp enough eye, the murder weapon would never be known. And with that many needles, there was no way the vital spots would go untouched, but that was the point, after all.

But there was no dying, strangled cry, no flare of chakra in a last-ditch effort to survive, not even a sign of movement from Sasuke, which was both disappointing and worrisome. Sasuke did not seem like the type to lay down and die so soon, and Haku could not imagine that any of Ino's potential rescuers would prove any less determined.

"You might want to work on that attack, if I do let you live," Sasuke said calmly, despite the fact that he looked like a living pin cushion. "I barely even felt that."

Haku's eyes narrowed. He hadn't missed, that much was obvious. How was Sasuke still alive? He got his answer as a chunk of Sasuke's cheek crumbled and fell away in pieces that looked very much like dirt, revealing untouched pale skin beneath it.

"You don't train the way I do without learning something about defense," Sasuke informed him with a smirk. "If you surrender now and show me where you're keeping Ino, I won't kill you. Unless you're one of the ones that hurt her. If that's the case, you might as well kill yourself now. It'd be a lot easier on you."

"This is as far as you go, Sasuke-san," Haku said calmly. "I will honor your skill with a quick death. It has been years since I was forced to rely on such extreme measures as this."

Sasuke took the hint that whatever was about to happen, he didn't want to just sit around and wait for it. But as he darted forward, a thick sheet of ice rose in front him. He paused and started to go around, but a second sheet joined the first, and then a third, until Sasuke was completely surrounded by his own icy reflections. Even then, more ice mirrors continued to form just above the first ring, creating a small house-like trap.

"Since you have already shown that my senbon will be useless against you," Haku continued as he slowly stepped forward and placed his hand on one of the mirrors, "I will not waste time and chakra with my usual techniques. Instead, I will simply end your life." He sighed softly, flooding the mirror with even more of his chakra. "I will tell Ino that you fought bravely until the very end. Farewell, Sasuke-san."

As Haku removed his hand, each of the mirrors began to glow brightly and tremble in mid air, small cracks crawling across their cool surfaces.

Sasuke chuckled as he dropped to one knee and glanced around him. "There doesn't seem to be any way of escaping. I think you actually might have me this time. But that still leaves you with one big problem."

"There is no escape," Haku insisted, frowning as he sensed the flare of Sasuke's chakra. "Nothing can break or escape my mirrors."

"That's good to know," Sasuke replied, his eyes gleaming like hot coals. "I'd just hate to die alone."

Haku's feet slipped as the ice beneath him somehow became wet, slippery mud. There was no way to stop himself as he fell on his back... and a cold, firm grip latched onto his ankle.

Sasuke grinned down at him from the slim gap between two mirrors. "If you don't stop whatever you've started, we die together."

Haku's eyes bulged as the Sharingan seemed to reach out and hold him in place. In all the time that he'd spent developing and perfecting his most powerful jutsu, he'd never actually had to stop it. It was a last resort, after all, not to be used until he was out of options, partially because it was so draining in the first place. So naturally, he didn't have enough chakra left to stop it.

The two shinobi stared into each other's eyes, both unwilling (and in Haku's case, unable) to look away as the mirrors finally cracked all the way through and exploded. Large, steaming chunks of ice filled the air and flew in every direction, sharpened and given more momentum by Haku's chakra. The power in just one shard was enough to dent steel. Flesh and bone were not even an inconvenience.

Within a few minutes, all that remained of the battleground beneath the bridge was a calm ocean, filled with several still steaming pieces of ice, and a great deal of blood.

* * *

The only thing Chouji could taste at the moment was his own blood.

He had wanted to believe that losing Ino and Asuma would be the worst part of this mission, but he was wrong. At least he hadn't seen what became of them.

But lying there on the floor of Tazuna's home, with pain ripping through his body and blood pouring out of his side, while he watched the Demon Brothers corner Tsunami, was infinitely worse. They had known precisely where he was still recovering, having taken part in the first ambush. And even though Tsunami had learned some ninjutsu and taijutsu from Yugito, it was understood that she wasn't capable of actually going toe to toe with an actual ninja, and certainly not two highly-trained ones that excelled at team attacks.

Chouji wanted to tell Tsunami to run, but he knew it would do no good. Even before Yugito had started training her, there had been a hint of steel in Tsunami's eyes, and the training had only brought it to the surface. Now, she would die before she even considered running. Inari would be alone... but he would've done the same thing. Yugito had inspired them both not to back down from challenges, no matter how lethal they might be.

But Yugito didn't have to watch Tsunami die.

"The only thing you can take is my life," he heard Tsunami whisper. "I won't let you have anything else!"

"Works for us," one of the Demon Brothers said, and then they charged as one, their poison-tipped, clawed gauntlets gleaming as they moved.

Chouji felt a gentle, familiar pressure on his arm, and he gasped as he caught a glimpse of a long, blond braid flailing as it passed over his head. "Yugito-chan," he whispered in relief.

Yugito's body seemed to cut through the air like a knife as she reached out with both hands, each one grabbing the long, wild hair of a Demon Brother, and then yanking their heads back nearly hard enough to snap their necks. But instead of doing just that, Yugito merely scratched their faces with two quick swipes of her fingernails.

The Demon Brothers blinked, glanced at each other, and promptly started laughing.

Even Chouji felt a little silly as Yugito turned away and knelt down to check on his injuries. "Uh, Yugito-chan, you're not really done with them, are you?"

"Don't talk, Chouji-kun," she snapped, carefully placing her hand over the puncture wounds in his side.

The Demon Brothers were still laughing when they suddenly stopped, and each fell apart into six long, vertical strips of blood and gore.

Chouji gaped. "How...?"

"Hush," Yugito murmured, closing her eyes. "It's harder to help you if you're talking."

He winced as Yugito's hand became exceedingly warm on his side, nearly hot enough to burn. But when she removed her hand, the warmth faded, as did some of the pain.

"I just closed them," Yugito explained, frowning slightly. "You still need to be very careful. Where is Shikamaru?"

"I-I thought he was still here somewhere," Chouji answered, growing worried for his teammate. "I know he was around when Inari and Hinata left..."

"He's gone," Tsunami answered, carefully stepping over the bloody mess on the floor. "He said he was going for a walk, but I didn't believe him..."

Yugito cursed softly under her breath. "Why do the smart ones always do the dumbest things? I'll bet he's gone after that girl, but he can barely even run as he is now."

"Because it's Ino-chan," Chouji said simply, as if that explained everything. And it did, for Yugito had seen the look in Shikamaru's eyes whenever Ino came up in conversation. He was the smartest boy she'd ever met, but even he would become a fool for love.

Shaking their heads, Yugito and Tsunami reached down to carefully help Chouji up and lead him back to the guest room. They had just gotten him comfortable when something like a small earthquake shook the house.

Yugito had raced outside even before the tremor stopped, and the sight that greeted her eyes was an unexpected one.

There was a six-foot tall monkey standing at the front door, and it had two people tucked under its arms.

"We're here," the monkey said at once, setting the people back on their feet. "You sure you don't want me to go check on your friend, Asu-kun? He was just a little guy, wasn't he?"

"I don't think Gaara would appreciate that description, or any help we might give him," Asuma answered, though he seemed uncertain about leaving the boy to face Zabuza's forces alone.

While man and monkey were still talking, Yugito quietly walked over to Ino and whispered, "Do my clothes fit you okay? We're not quite the same size, but I figured you'd want something clean..."

Ino blinked slowly, realizing that they were indeed dressed pretty similarly. "Oh... no, they're great. Thanks. How did-"

"I ran into Gaara, and I didn't think he had any extra clothing on him. A boy wouldn't think about something like that, after all. Speaking of which, your boys have been pretty worried about you. Especially Shikamaru, who ran off without telling anyone. He's probably looking for you."

A slight smile began to form on Ino's face, but it quickly faded. "He could get hurt... or even-"

Asuma frowned. "Goku nii-san, could you bring him back? He can't be in any shape to fight... but watch his shadows all the same if he resists. Make sure he knows that we're free."

"Yeah, no problem," Goku replied, leaping straight up into the air and quickly vanishing from view.

"Doesn't he ever walk?" Ino asked, exasperated.

Asuma shook his head. "No, he just sort of bounces, and he could even cover a couple of miles that way if he's not careful."

Yugito gently tapped Ino's shoulder. "Chouji-kun is resting inside, so... do you want any help getting cleaned up?"

There was a time when such a question might have made no sense, or even been slightly offensive to Ino. Now, though, pride took a backseat to safety in numbers. She took a deep breath and said, "Yes, please." She allowed Yugito to take her hand, and tried her best not to think about Haku. Part of her was angry, but the rest was still grateful for the girl's kindness. She had no idea how she was supposed to feel, or what she would do if she saw Haku again.

* * *

"That's your grandfather's bridge, Inari-kun?" Hinata asked.

Inari nodded stiffly, but said nothing.

Even from a distance, Hinata could see that the bridge was nearly halfway finished. It was a testament to how determined Tazuna had been to save the Land of Waves, despite pressure from Gato and his hired goons. But seeing the bridge only reminded her that there was still much for her to do, too. She needed to find her teammates, Ino, and Asuma.

"The caves aren't too far from the bridge," Inari said. "I think you'll be able to see them long before you get there," he added, staring at her pale eyes.

Hinata smiled and nodded. "Thank you for your help, Inari-kun. You should go home to your mother. I'm sure she's worried about you."

"I hope you find your friends," Inari said, hesitating a moment longer before he turned and ran back the way they'd come.

Taking a deep breath, Hinata was just about to activate her Byakugan to confirm Inari's instructions when she spotted movement on the bridge. A tall ninja with a sword strapped to his back had suddenly appeared there. He was not looking in her direction, as Inari had purposely led her towards the bridge by a less traveled route, but the man would no doubt see her very soon. She could try to hide, but he would almost certainly detect her some other way, and hiding would only tell him that she had something to hide in the first place. There was really only one option left.

Shikamaru had suggested changing into some of her "normal" clothes, and now Hinata was very glad she'd thought to wear an "Anko-style" overcoat and pants. She could easily pass for a civilian, which was really her only hope. A henge, if done very well, would hide her eyes, but if the ninja saw through it, and/or happened to be familiar with the Hyuuga, he would know her for what she was. With any luck, he would mistake her for a mere girl, and she'd be able to catch him with his guard down.

But as Hinata got closer, her plan seemed less and less likely to succeed. The ninja was none other than Momochi Zabuza himself. Thinking of the kodachi secured at her side, she felt very, very silly. Zabuza probably ate average swordsmen for breakfast, and Hinata's progress (and that was being generous) with her short sword wasn't even worth mentioning, in her mind. Apparently, the reason that most Hyuuga didn't use swords was because they didn't handle them very well: Hinata was so used to attacking with her bare hands that she felt odd holding any sort of weapon beyond a kunai in a fight. Anyone drawing a kodachi against Zabuza's monster of a sword would probably come off as an insult, and Hinata wasn't about to make him any more determined to kill her than he might already prove to be.

Zabuza stepped into her path while she was still a few inches from reaching the bridge.

Hinata quickly lowered her head shyly, murmured a soft apology, and started to go around him.

But Zabuza's strong left hand seized her shoulder gently, but firmly.

"Girl. Where are you going?"

"I'm looking for my cat, sir," was the first thing that popped out of Hinata's mouth. Suddenly very thankful that she'd met Nibbles, she barreled ahead. "She's tiny and black all over. Have you seen her?"

"No," Zabuza answered. "But maybe you'd find her faster without that sword hidden in your coat weighing you down. Light as it is, I can't imagine what a simple girl would be doing with one."

Hinata swallowed nervously and opened her mouth.

"Don't bother lying any further. You're not with Gato, and you're not from the Land of Waves. That makes you an outsider, which means you're here on a mission. Now, what business could foreign ninja have here, hmm?"

"The sword is just for protection," Hinata said, wondering if it would be more convincing to sound confident, or frightened.

Zabuza grunted. "I might believe that, if it were a knife. Swords aren't cheap, nor are they commonly misplaced. So I'll ask one last time: why are you here?" His grip on her shoulder tightened.

Hinata winced rather authentically, then grabbed his hand. "That hurts," she pointed out, and returned the favor by squeezing his hand, effectively sealing off any hope of channeling chakra to or through it.

Zabuza's eyes narrowed, and his right hand blurred as it flew up grasp the hilt of his sword. He winced noticeably for an instant, but even as he began to draw the sword, Hinata had already targeted and struck several points on his chest. She noticed the sword, however, and rolled out of the way as it came crashing to the ground where she'd been standing seconds earlier.

Hinata was shocked. She knew she was fast... for her age. But Zabuza was at the very least a jounin. There was no way she should've been that much faster than him. Something was wrong. Was Zabuza purposely moving slowly now, so as to draw her into a false state of confidence? It seemed unlikely, unless Zabuza liked to play with his victims, but he struck her as the type to kill quickly and move on to the next kill.

Certainly, she had expected him to move a little slower once he drew such a massive weapon, but he should have been so good with handling it that the difference was barely noticeable at all. For there to be such an obvious gap in speed, he had to be doing something else with his energy... like putting it all into the sword.

Instantly on her guard, Hinata focused on the sword as Zabuza yanked it from the ground and glared at her. To her growing surprise, she could actually make out what seemed to be a chakra circulatory system in the blade, and beyond that, there was a massive amount of chakra flowing through it. But it was different, somehow. Normally, a person's chakra was just one color. But she could see four or five different colors in the sword. Most of the chakra was blue, but the next most prominent color was gray, with spots of red, purple, and green mixed in. It didn't make any sense. By all rights, the sword should have been walking and talking with that much power pumping through it, and that was certainly the only reason that Hinata could see into it at all.

"Since you're so interested in my sword," Zabuza said with a feral grin, "I'll be sure to cut you right down the middle with it, so you can feel just how sharp it is."

Hinata didn't bother with a reply. Even slow and drained, Zabuza was still... well, Zabuza. By now, he'd probably compensated for his decrease in speed, and if she got too close, he would no doubt do just as he'd threatened. But she still had to take him out somehow... and be mindful that his sword could unleash an incredible attack at any moment.

But even as she watched him, Zabuza looked to be weakening. His hands trembled slightly as they gripped the sword's hilt, and he had to adjust his stance several times to support the weapon's weight. A small part of Hinata even felt sorry for him. He was falling apart right before her eyes... but, she reminded herself, he could still kill her with one attack.

Hinata purposely waited a few more seconds before darting forward, seeking to test Zabuza's reflexes. She didn't intend to stay close long enough for him to strike her, but she had to know just how much of an advantage she had on him.

To his credit, from the way Zabuza's eyes tracked her, Hinata was positive that, had he been in peak condition, she'd be hitting the ground in two halves. Instead, Zabuza swung his sword... slowly. So slowly, in fact, that Hinata nearly had time to jump out the way, double back into his sword's path, and then jump back safely a second time. But she chose to stick with simply dodging the one time. Chances were he would be even slower the next time, and she was positive that she could seal off more of his chakra when that happened. He was already close to running on empty.

"Damn you," Zabuza hissed, and Hinata got the oddest impression that he wasn't talking to her at all. Forcing the thought out of her mind, she charged forward again, intent on landing a couple of good hits along Zabuza's arms.

Just as with last time, Zabuza swung far too slowly, and Hinata ducked her way into his guard, striking his right arm in six different places. She heard Zabuza grunt in pain over her head as the sword slipped from his right hand, and took that as a sign to back off. But she had been so focused on Zabuza's right arm that it didn't occur to her until far too late that she hadn't been watching the left one.

With a triumphant growl, Zabuza managed to draw a kunai from seemingly nowhere with his damaged left hand. For some reason, this hand moved far faster than the other, and by the time Hinata spotted it, there was no way to avoid the attack completely. All she managed to do was spin away slightly so that Zabuza missed burying the kunai completely into her ribs. Instead, though, he pulled off an upward diagonal slash that tore through her coat and the clothing beneath it, leaving a burning, bleeding line stretching from Hinata's hip to just under her left breast. It wasn't deep, but it hurt so much that both moving and breathing were problematic from that point on.

Hinata stumbled back and fell, gasping in pain as she tried to crawl backwards. Every second seemed to make the cut flare angrily, and she could feel the damp warmth of blood spilling down her body.

Zabuza stayed where he was for a few seconds, panting and staring at her. Then, he seemed to realize that he wasn't done, and took a step towards her.

What happened next did so, so quickly, that Hinata was almost certain she imagined it.

Even though Zabuza's foot landed nowhere near it, the sword popped up, as if he'd stepped on the tip of the hilt, and the entire sword weighed no more than a common rake. And because it had landed flat, the sword turned, in mid air, so that the blade's edge was facing Zabuza. And even then, it had to raise itself a few inches, to be certain that it would connect at just the right height to sever Zabuza's head from his body.

All Hinata saw was that Zabuza's head suddenly landed on the ground, and the sword was instantly lying on the opposite side of him, his blood splashed on the topmost portion of the blade's edge. Zabuza's headless body collapsed to the ground a second later.

Something about the sword called to Hinata. Probably she just wondered why Zabuza would give up all that chakra, just to behead himself after he'd scored his first hit. Maybe she just wanted to check for a wire of some sort, as she'd never seen a sword move on its own like that.

So, ignoring the pain, she crawled over to the fallen sword. And once she was staring down at it, it seemed perfectly natural to touch it.

The moment her fingers touched the cold steel, chakra raced up her arm, and for a few seconds, Hinata felt more powerful than she ever had before. Then her eyes rolled up into her head, and she collapsed over the flat of the blade.

* * *

_Konoha - Hyuuga Compound - March_

"Is something the matter, Hanabi-sama?" Neji asked quietly from his seat on the floor. It was odd enough that Hanabi had desired his company at all. But the fact that she had been smiling for the past ten minutes was, well, kind of disturbing.

Hanabi shook her head, the odd smile never leaving her face as she practically skipped about her bedroom, rearranging various things here, making tiny adjustments there. "Nothing is wrong, Neji. In fact, for the first time, I feel like nearly everything is right."

Neji found that very hard to believe, but he couldn't bring himself to ruin Hanabi's good mood. For some reason, the moments when Hinata and Hanabi had been most upset stood out in his mind, and he never wanted to relive them if at all possible. "The fresh air must have done you good, then."

"I think it was more the change of scenery," Hanabi noted, "but I'm sure the fresh air helped, too. It's always good to get away from all of... this, for a while." She made a vague twirling motion with her hand, which Neji understood to mean everything that had anything to do with the Hyuuga Clan. He wasn't sure if he should sympathyze, or be concerned. Hanabi was content now, but she might try to follow in her sister's footsteps eventually.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Neji asked after a moment. It was very late, and Hanabi seemed unusually energetic, even for her.

"Maybe later," Hanabi murmured, in a tone that suggested she would do nothing of the sort. "I have a lot to think about."

"Like Gaara?" It was out of Neji's mouth before he could think to stop himself.

Hanabi paused and gazed at him. "Probably. Does it bother you, Neji?"

"It... puzzles me," he admitted slowly. "Why him, of all people?"

"Why not?" Hanabi challenged. "He is stronger than any other boy I've ever met. He cares about what happens to me. He is even... kind, in his own way. Is it so hard to believe that a girl wouldn't find those qualities attractive?"

"He has a demon inside of him."

"You have a seal on your forehead that can destroy you in a matter of seconds," Hanabi snapped.

Neji's eyes narrowed. "That has nothing to do with-"

"It has everything to do with it! You cover that seal because you don't want everyone you meet to judge you by it's presence! It is a reminder that you had no control over your life at some point, and you hate it with everything that you are! You would do almost anything to be rid of it!"

"You don't know what you're talking about," Neji said quietly, his voice trembling. "You have no idea what my life is like."

"I was talking about Gaara," Hanabi said just as quietly.

Neji's eyes widened.

"Some people like to believe that he is no different from the demon locked inside of him. They always conveniently overlook that he had no choice in the matter. That the only reason the demon doesn't slay them is because of him. He and everyone like him has done humanity an enormous favor, not that they had any say in it. He's a hero for every day that he wakes up and continues to save us, just by breathing." Hanabi's eyes narrowed. "You can hate him for taking Hinata away, if you want, even if she is happier now. But I won't let you hate him out of sheer ignorance, Neji. And if you really only hate him because someone told you to, maybe you should consider everything they didn't tell you. The truth might not make your life any easier, but you won't be so easily mislead, either."

For several moments, Neji could only stare at her. Finally, he shook his head slowly. "I've never heard you speak so passionately about anything, Hanabi-sama."

"Well, I know a thing or two about hiding seals," Hanabi replied. And with that, she removed the plain, blue headband she was wearing.

Neji frowned at the sight of the symbol on her forehead. It looked a great deal like a tiny, black star, but Hanabi turned away before he could get a good look. "Who has done this to you?"

"No one. I did it myself," Hanabi answered as she draped her headband around the neck of stuffed bear on her pillow. "It was necessary to learn my mother's jutsu."

"I had heard that it is forbidden," Neji remarked with a frown.

"And what did I just tell you about believing something you were told?"

"But that jutsu IS forbidden, Hanabi-sama."

Hanabi sighed. "But you don't know why it is, or why I felt it was necessary to learn it, or how useful it is outside of battle. And you never will, if you continue to walk through life with your eyes closed. Honestly, Neji, I expected better from you. Are you willing to so blindly believe the same people who told you that seal on your forehead was necessary, too?"

Neji refused to meet her eyes. "Are you saying you don't believe that?"

"What I believe is that if we were as powerful as we pretend to be, then the Byakugan would be kept safe no matter what we did. And I would certainly expect a prodigy like you to be up to the task. But I'm just a child; what do I know?"

"You obviously know something... something you didn't know when you left this evening. What is it?"

Hanabi just stared at him. "I may tell you, when I trust you more. But for now, there is only one thing you need to know."

"And that is?"

"Had it been up to me, this is the only thing that would have ever been placed on your forehead." She firmly seized his chin and kissed him right between his eyes, her lips lingering there a bit longer than was considered normal for such a thing. Even then, Hanabi only drew back enough to look into his eyes. "I'm sorry, Neji. Even if it doesn't mean anything to you, or change anything for the better... I'm sorry."

There was a multitude of things she could be apologizing for, but at that very moment, Neji was unable to connect Hanabi personally to any of the wrongs in his life. He could not remember the last time anyone (other than Lee, and that did NOT count) showed him any kind of physical affection. It suddenly occurred to him that he should thank Hanabi, even though he had no idea how he truly felt about what had just happened to him.

But the moment was gone; Hanabi had climbed into her bed, and though she was not sleeping, appeared very devoted to the idea of clutching her beloved bear and staring at the ceiling.

Neji sighed, stood up, and slowly walked out of the room. Hanabi's kiss, he realized, did not lift his spirits as it was probably meant to. While he did like the idea of a Hanabi who smiled instead of cried, laughed instead of shouted, and yes, even kissed people occasionally, the happiness evaporated when he reminded himself who was responsible for the change. Even if Gaara was exactly what Hanabi claimed he was, Neji could not give his blessing to that particular union. Hanabi might have been well-informed, but she could not imagine what life would be like, instantly being thought of as the mate of a demon before she said even one word. It would be a hard life, harder than anything she'd ever faced, and her supposed love for Gaara simply might not be enough.

And Neji was determined to protect Hanabi, now more than ever, even if the biggest threat he had to turn back was her own dream.

* * *

_6 Years, 4 Months in Suna - March_

If anyone had told Naruto that he could get tired of flying, he wouldn't have believed it. It was basically swimming with far less physical effort, and more focus on allowing yourself to be guided, rather than trying to force your way through. But flying was really only fun if you were allowed to enjoy it.

Now, if you constantly had three chatty weasels telling you three different ways to do the exact same thing, that was something else. Even worse, he couldn't listen to ANY of them, because the moment he chose one's way over the others', those two would feel slighted and proceed to bite him, which made it even harder to focus on flying and following directions at the same time.

But Naruto put up with it all, because when it came right down to it, he loved each of the weasels as if they were his own sisters. Meg had been with him nearly as long as Temari had, and it was hard to imagine going through life without the reassuring weight of her furry body curled around his neck or resting on top of his head. Seikon was constantly spoiling his fun by acting like a prim, proper mother figure, but Naruto had to admit that she was a better conscience than Meg, who was sometimes willing to get him in trouble just to see if he could get himself out of it. Shiden was always funny, especially when she wasn't trying. She wasn't exactly slow-witted, but her sisters were obviously smarter, and her simple-mindedness was endearing... when you could understand what she was saying, anyway.

And the one thing that all three weasels saw as more important than anything else was Naruto being able to fill his role as the center of their group attack. They still hadn't told him the name of it, but Naruto got the feeling that whoever they used it against would not be up to fighting for much longer.

But in between all the training sessions, Naruto would find himself staring up at the sky, and wondering. His life was surprisingly good now, and in just a few months, he would be going back to the place where it had been the worst. He could still vividly picture the angry faces, hear the hostile cries of angry mobs, and feel their hands tearing at and bruising his body. But he was not afraid anymore. Now, he was just angry.

He couldn't understand why the Yondaime had chosen to curse him. He couldn't understand why the Sandaime, who had claimed to be his friend, allowed him to live in such a way where every day was torture. Most of all, he could not understand why the same people who had hated and feared Gaara had so readily welcomed him. Yet he knew with some certainty that the same thing had most likely happened to Gaara in Konoha... and that made him angrier than anything else. Naruto had never done anything to harm the people of Konoha, and if the rumors were true, Gaara had done little aside from that in Suna. But the idea that Konoha would rather embrace a bloodthirsty monster they knew nothing about, rather than a boy they knew to be innocent made him feel betrayed to the point where he wanted to scream. Of course, he knew that Gaara's situation had been similar to his, and so Naruto could not convince himself to hate the readhead.

Sometimes he imagined Konoha burning to the ground, while he smiled and laughed. And that, disturbing as it was, did not scare him at all. It would bother him, if people like Ayame died, but that was just it: Naruto could count the people who had genuinely cared about him on one hand, and he convinced himself that it was a small sacrifice to make to rid the world of a village full of extremely hateful people.

And if he was never able to eat ramen again, well, that was something else he'd have to give up. Temari had turned him on to vegetable soup, which was tasting less like like a cook had made ramen with vegetables and somehow forgot to add the ramen, and more like the tasty soup it actually was. It had taken Naruto even longer to get used to Kankurou's hamburgers, but he'd found that after a long day of training, they were quite filling when wolfed down fast enough.

Naruto also wondered about Kisame from time to time. Kyuubi was convinced that they'd run into the shark man a second time, and so the only thing they needed to wonder about was how they'd beat him in the future.

**End of Chapter 18.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Hinata is reunited with a familiar face. Shikamaru goes fishing for bodies. Ino upsets Gaara. Yugito gives someone a second chance at life.

Endnotes:

The sword Hinata starts out with (the same one Hanabi disapproved of) is a kodachi, or a curved, lightweight Japanese short sword ranging from about two to 2.75 feet in length (shorter than a long sword, longer than a dagger). Because of it's length and weight, it can be drawn and swung very quickly. Primarily, its purpose is defensive; you would use the kodachi as a shield while attacking with the free hand (it's light enough to wield one-handed). To my knowledge, this sword has never appeared in Naruto-verse (ANBU are typically seen with ninjaken, but I'll probably get to that in a later chapter). So Hinata isn't being crazy when she decides not to draw her kodachi against Zabuza. She simply doesn't have the skill and power necessary to block blows from a much longer, much heavier sword being wielded by a master swordsman. Also, Zabuza could just chop through a light sword.

Kankurou's justu:

**Sanseigan (Acidic Rock): **

The user spits a saliva-like substance from the mouth. Contact with skin causes an extreme burning sensation, followed shortly by total paralysis of the body.

Asuma's jutsu:

**Kuchiyose: Taisei no Ishi (Summoning: Great Sage of Stone): **

The user summons Son Goku, a legendary monkey king of enormous power and cunning. One of his more common skills is the ability to cover great distances in a single leap.

Hatsumi's jutsu:

**Yajuu Hijutsu: Juuhi (Monster Secret Technique: Animal Skin):**

Hatsumi can assume the form of any creature tattooed on her body. While transformed, she retains her human mind, but is sometimes influenced by animal instincts (mainly when it comes to eating).

Sasuke's jutsu:

**Doton: Doro Daija (Earth Release: Mud Serpent):**

The user creates a giant snake out of tightly-packed mud, which attacks relentlessly until it is destroyed.

**Doton: Gaihi no Iwa (Earth Release: Outer Skin of Rock):**

Inspired by Gaara's Suna on Yoroi (Armor of Sand). The user forms a thin but strong layer of rock over their body, which can turn back or absorb blows from most projectile weapons.

Haku's jutsu:

**Yari no Hyou (Spears of Ice):**

The powerful, instinctive release of Haku's bloodline limit in its purest, unrefined form. Any nearby water is frozen and molded into sharpened ice spears, homing in on any target before Haku's eyes. This is triggered whenever Haku finds himself in fear of losing his life (and has enough chakra to activate it).

**Sensatsu Suisho (A Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death): **

This jutsu freezes water into the shape of sharp needles, which then home in on the opponent from all directions. To perform this Jutsu, the user must be near a body of water. Haku performs this jutsu with a one-handed seal.

**Makyou Hyou Shou (Demonic Ice Mirrors):**

Haku's kekai Genkai jutsu, in which he traps the enemy in a house of ice mirrors then enters a mirror, making reflections of himself and attacking the enemy in a storm of needles.

**Kibaku Makyou Hyou Shou (Exploding Demonic Ice Mirrors):**

(borrowed from Naruto: Narutimate Hero)

After the victim is trapped in Makyou Hyou Shou, the house of ice mirrors will explode/implode, damaging all inside of it while Haku remains safely outside of the blast. Some fans imply that Haku was going to use this Jutsu as a last resort to defeat Kyuubi-Naruto but was attacked by him before he had the chance.

Yugito's jutsu:

**Kage Tsume (Shadow Claw): **

Yugito's signature attack, where she dashes at an enemy and scratches them. Though it at first seems rather harmless, the initial scratches are used as targets for the invisible claws of the Nibi, who quickly follows up with swipes powerful enough to tear virtually anything to shreds. The claws can be coated in fire or electricity for more damage.

**Kyuusei (Nine Lives):**

The Nibi's ability to close any wound by focusing her chakra at an area on the body. This is not quite healing, although it would stop bleeding and reduce risk of infection.

Zabuza's sword:

**Kubikiri Houchou (Beheading Knife):**

This sentient sword can bond with its master, once that person's blood has touched the weapon. The sword can "unlock" several abilities by sampling a small portion of its wielder's chakra, including: greatly reducing/increasing its weight, sharing/draining chakra with/from whoever touches it, communicating telepathically with its owner, and developing more powerful forms as its owner grows in power. With each new master, the sword makes a pact, and remains loyal until the pact is broken in some way. Should that happen, the sword becomes more a hindrance than a help, until it is passed on to someone it considers worthy.


	19. The Rebirth of Hizashi

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 19: The Rebirth of Hizashi**

* * *

Hinata woke up lying in the grass in her garden.

Normally, this would not be a problem, except she distinctly remembered being in the Land of Waves and fighting with the late Momochi Zabuza.

But her eyes continued to confirm that this was indeed her garden. Her flowers were right they had always been, and the statue of her uncle was... missing. Well, THAT was new, but other than that, everything seemed to be in order. Still, statues didn't just get up and walk away, and Gaara usually went to great lengths to ensure that his artwork could not be disturbed in any way.

Yet, the longer she sat there, the more Hinata began to feel that this was only a very convincing replica of her garden. Normally, she would be able to see part of the wall that surrounded the Hyuuga compound, but now there was only a curious white mist at the edge of the land, as if the whole thing were floating inside a cloud.

"It is incomplete, I know," sighed a voice beside her. "I didn't have much time to put this all together."

Hinata nearly fell over in shock as she turned her head and came face to face with someone she knew to be very much dead. "It can't be," she whispered, shaking her head.

The man frowned slightly. "I apologize. I thought this form might reassure you, but it's clearly bothering you, so-"

"You are not... him?" Hinata squeaked, pressing a hand to her heart.

"No, Hinata. I am not your uncle."

This... was a little hard to swallow, because the man clearly WAS Hyuuga Hizashi, even if the voice was a little different.

"So... who are you?"

"The simple answer is that I am the spirit of the sword that once belonged to Zabuza. Obviously, that's no longer the case, which brings me to why I brought you here." The man paused, staring at her curiously when she seemed to have no major reaction to this. "You seem to be taking this well."

Hinata shrugged. "Something similar happened to a friend of mine. You were saying?"

The man blinked several times. "Ah. Yes. Well, you are here because I have chosen to offer you my services. I have selected you to be my new master." He stopped again, certain she would respond to that.

Hinata was not pleased. "But you killed Zabuza, and he was your master..."

"True. But Zabuza betrayed me by breaking our pact. I made it very clear to him in the beginning that I would not tolerate that. He insisted on ignoring the terms of our pact. I take my oaths very seriously, and expect the same of my master."

"I think you need to start at the beginning. How is it you can talk? Where are we? What's your name?"

"All good questions," the man noted. "This sword, and others like it, was forged with the specific purpose of... aligning itself with a person's chakra. However, the sword has its own separate power source to draw from. But that power works best when channeled through a human being, so the sword has an instinctive desire to seek out a proper master. As for how I can talk: I honestly don't know. I suspect that I was once human, though I have no idea how I came to be a sword. And my name... I don't have one anymore."

Hinata blinked. "Why not?"

"It is the duty of my current master to name me. Under Zabuza, I was Kubikiri Houchou. But that was then. I have no master and no name... unless, of course, you accept my offer and give me a name."

"Why do you want to be my sword?"

The man smiled. "There are a few reasons. You technically bested my former master. You answered my call, before you even knew what I was. And I sense that you have much untapped potential, so we could grow together. That usually results in a very strong bond."

"Why... why did you choose to look like my uncle?" Hinata asked quietly.

"I wanted to appear to you as someone who might be able to comfort you with their presence. But I also did not want to select anyone who was still alive. I have found that people often talk more freely to the dead. I sensed that you had a very strong attachment to this person, and I thought you would be happy to see him again."

"I..." Hinata could not finish the thought. Had she been close to Hizashi? She had never really thought so. She could remember that he was always polite to her, and sometimes he would pat her on the head and murmur a few words of encouragement, where her father would've said nothing at all. But so often he would avoid looking directly at her, even if he was speaking to her, and this had always left Hinata feeling that he did not want to get too close to her. Yet she had still felt closer to him than she did her own father, and losing him had been one of the most painful experiences of her young life. Part of her had been happy to see him again, but she had also been afraid that seeing him had meant that she was dead, too.

"I can always take on another form from your memories," the man offered. "I thought your mother might be a little too personal, and I strongly suspect that I was male when I lived, so..."

"This... this is fine," Hinata said softly. It WAS nice to see her uncle again, in the flesh instead of a statue. Especially if he was going to be a little more friendly than the original.

"Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"How does this... pact of yours work? What would I have to give you?"

The man laughed. "Only your word. Tell me one of your dreams, and I will do everything in my power to make it real... so long as you believe in me, and stay true to that dream. If you should ever turn your back on it, you must release me from your service. If you refuse... well, I trust you'll be smarter than Zabuza. And I would give you plenty of warning before I did something so drastic. Now, what is one of your dreams?"

Hinata had many dreams, but staring into her uncle's face, she could only think of one. "I want... to bring my family together, and keep them together. I want them to be unified... happy... peaceful. I want them to care about each other again." She paused, biting her lip. "But... that's too much, isn't it?"

"No. It is a noble dream worth fighting for. I would be glad to make it reality." The man placed his hand on her shoulder. "Now you must name me. To call upon my power, you must call me by name. What is my name, Hinata?"

"Hizashi," she whispered, her eyes never leaving his.

"Then speak the command that will release my power, and I will belong to you."

Hinata closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them, she saw that the white mist that had surrounded the area was beginning to fade, and there bright spots of sunlight pouring through. The words came to her lips with no conscious thought, but as she spoke them, they seemed... right. "Shine. Shine, Hizashi..."

The man smiled and bowed to her. "As you wish, Hinata-sama."

* * *

_Land of Waves - March_

Sasuke woke up to feel something biting his arm. He was not surprised to find that it was Kagome, although he was very startled when she slithered up his arm and licked his ear in a manner that was probably considered affectionate among snakes.

"Don't you EVER scare me like that again!" Kagome hissed. "I thought you were... I thought my barrier had failed, and-"

"What barrier?" Sasuke asked hoarsely. Images from the battle flashed before his mind's eye, but none of them contained a barrier of Kagome's making.

"I was afraid you wouldn't survive the explosion, so I put up a barrier to protect us," Kagome explained. "But SHE," and here she glared at Kikyou, who Sasuke saw was curled around his left knee, "managed to redirect the explosion so that it was on the outside of the mirrors-"

"So only the other guy was seriously hurt," Sasuke muttered, frowning. He did appreciate Kikyou's efforts, but she had never said anything about being able to redirect explosions, nor had Kagome ever mentioned a shield of any sort. He was starting to wonder just how powerful the two snakes really were.

"I am glad you are awake, Sasuke-sama," Kikyou said, "because I feel there is a matter that deserves your immediate attention."

Sasuke took a moment to look around. He was lying under a tree in a small clearing, and he could feel grass tickling his arms and legs.

But more importantly, he and the snakes were not alone. Lying right next to him, bleeding heavily and looking extremely pale, was the very same ninja who had just tried to kill him. Amazingly, someone had gone to the trouble of tying him up despite what almost had to be several mortal wounds. That someone was Shikamaru, who was currently sitting on the other side of the clearing.

"I was going to ask if you often talked to snakes," Shikamaru said slowly, "but I guess you'd have to, if they talk back. So instead, I'll just ask: is there any particular reason I shouldn't kill that guy?"

Sasuke blinked and took another look at the ninja beside him. The boy looked dead already, frankly, or so close to it that it wouldn't matter what they did with him. "He knows where Ino is."

Shikamaru frowned. "Damn. Can't kill him because he knows something. Can't torture him because I might accidentally kill him. Can't even threaten him properly because he might die while I'm talking."

Sasuke shook his head. Shikamaru never would've talked like that before this mission. Now, though, he wasn't really surprised. "We need him alive, for now. And thanks for pulling me out of the water."

"I didn't really have a choice," Shikamaru answered. "I found him first, and you had a death grip on his ankle. But I wasn't about to strain my one good arm, so I had to use my Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique) to have him drag you both out. You only let go a few minutes ago."

While they were still wondering what to do with the ninja, a long shadow fell over Sasuke. His eyes immediately went to Shikamaru, who shook his head and held up his hands to show it wasn't his doing.

"I was only supposed to bring back one of you," said the large monkey that bounced into the clearing, "but there are three..."

"It's okay, Goku-san," Shikamaru replied. "Sasuke is with us. But the other one-"

"Is needed as well," Goku interrupted, and with that, he carefully (for him, anyway) scooped up the bound ninja, who groaned lightly at being moved.

"For what?" Shikamaru demanded angrily.

"The girl wants him," Goku answered, scratching idly at his chin with his free hand. "She didn't say as much, but I could see it in her eyes. That's how I knew what he would look like."

"What girl?" Sasuke asked.

"Ino?" Shikamaru whispered, his eyes widening. "You've seen Ino?"

"Dropped her off with Asuma in town just now. You two coming or not?"

Sasuke instantly relaxed, but Shikamaru was still clearly agitated.

"Why would Ino need to see him?"

Goku frowned. "Look, kid. I don't make a habit of reading minds. In fact, I try not to when I can avoid it. But when something's that obvious, I just pick up on it without trying. If you want to know more, I suggest you ask the girl yourself. Or Gohan. He's better with stuff like that."

Sasuke didn't care what Ino wanted with the ninja. Probably she just wanted to kill one herself, or this one in particular had taken something from her. Either way, it was no concern of his, so he quickly got to his feet, startled that there was so little pain to work through. Making a mental to note to ask Kagome just how powerful her shield was, he gave Goku his full attention. "Have you run into Zabuza yet?"

"Nope. And if you two stop wasting time, we won't have to. Now climb on and quit asking me stuff." Goku grabbed Sasuke by the back of his shirt and tossed the boy onto his back. Sasuke had just barely gotten a good grip when Goku grabbed Shikamaru, tucked him under one arm, and leaped into the air.

"We could've walked!" Shikamaru shouted, though Sasuke barely heard him over the loud roar of air rushing past them. Anyway, the young Uchiha was far too distracted by the sudden bright column of light that shot up from the half-built bridge, accompanied a few seconds later by an enormous chakra pulse.

"We should turn around and check that out," Sasuke said.

"I'll pass," Goku snorted. "The trouble with light is that everyone's attracted to it, including the bad guys. Asuma told me to keep you safe, so we're staying away from any enemies that are in any shape to hurt you."

Sasuke glared at the monkey, but didn't dare protest for fear of being dropped from such a great height. He didn't say so, but that chakra had felt far too familiar, yet far too powerful to be the person he thought it was. He could be wrong, but something in his heart told him that he wasn't.

* * *

_Suna - Underground Cavern - March_

"Thought I'd find you here. Still working on your new pet, yeah?"

Kankurou looked up from his cluttered workspace, wiping some sweat from his brow as he nodded respectfully to his visitor. "Yes, Deidara-sensei. I'm done with the frame already. I just need to apply what you taught me now."

Deidara nodded slowly as he scanned the dimly-lit room. All of the light present originated from the row of candles on either side of Kankurou. It was perhaps a little risky, considering he was working with highly sensitive explosives, but he had proved to be exceedingly careful whenever he worked on his creations, so Deidara wasn't too concerned. The thing that inevitably drew Deidara's attention was the silent figure dressed in the Kazekage's robes, standing just behind Kankurou.

"So you finished him already, yeah? Sasori thought it would take twice this long."

A dark grin spread across Kankurou's face. "You could say I was inspired to finish quickly. The Suna team is supposed to arrive in Konoha a little earlier than originally planned."

Deidara smirked. "Ah. And you think your pet will be ready by then, yeah?"

"Not completely," Kankurou admitted, "but just the frame should be enough. The rest is just for fun, mostly. I am proud to benefit from the genius of both my teachers, and I will gladly show that to the world."

"Heh. Now you're just trying to make me blush, yeah?" He was about to say more when a glowing, smiling face suddenly appeared inches from his own.

"Hey, Hot Potato!" Hatsumi's astral form greeted happily. "Me and Big Buddy are gonna be out for a while, so tell Captain Awesome we'll be late, 'kay? Bye-eeeee!" She faded away before Deidara could even begin to form a response.

"Huh. Don't think I'll ever get used to that," Kankurou muttered.

"You shouldn't have to worry about it, until she names you," Deidara sighed. "Then you'll know that it's too late to ever escape her notice. And pray she doesn't call you at three in the morning wanting to talk about how cute pink is."

Kankurou stared at him. "You mean you guys are the deadliest people... ever, and it never occurred to you that letting a kid join might not be the best idea?"

"Wasn't my call, yeah," Deidara answered. "She's the only one that the Leader handpicked, so it's not like we could vote her out or anything. Anyway, she's the only one here that knows how to make dango, which happens to be Itachi's favorite snack. It's always good to have some on hand, just in case."

"In case what?"

"In case we find ourselves in a situation where we really don't want to be without it, yeah," Deidara replied firmly.

Grunting, Kankurou turned back to his work. "Is anyone not creeped out by him?"

"The Leader. And even he would prefer not to deal with Itachi if we've got dango to distract him instead."

* * *

Gaara was starting to get annoyed. There was no one left to kill.

There had only been a handful of men on the way to the caves, and Yugito had departed shortly before that. Gaara hadn't minded, as he didn't care to share his body count (or blood). All of the men had died quickly, and were either drunk or weak. He was actually insulted that he'd needed to clean up their blood to avoid detection early on. Now that he wanted attention, though, he was simply butchering every man he came across, not that there had been many stragglers left.

So when he felt a huge pulse of chakra roll over him, Gaara did what he knew everyone else who'd felt it would most likely do: find the source. Perhaps he wasn't done killing yet, after all.

But Gaara was disappointed when he finally reached the bridge: not only had the chakra pulse not come from an enemy, it had come from his own teammate, and she was perfectly fine.

Although it should be noted that Gaara's definition of "perfectly fine" would not match Sasuke's (as he was Hinata's husband) or even Shikamaru's (who was becoming very jaded, but still would have been concerned at the sight of blood on clothing). Hinata was alive and healthy, so Gaara had stopped worrying after that. He was not concerned about where her new katana and sheath had come from, or why both seemed to glow faintly even when not in use. Nor was he at all concerned about the changes in her eyes, but that was only because he'd thoroughly researched the subject, and had been prepared for any such occurrences.

Sasuke, though, would probably be very interested to learn why Hinata's pale eyes now bore a single, silvery tomoe each at times, and why she kept talking to a sword that didn't seem to be saying anything back, at least not aloud.

There was little time to be concerned with each other, though, because shortly after his arrival, Gaara and Hinata found themselves surrounded. Most of the men wore no mark of any Hidden Village, and only seemed confident because they knew no better. Gaara wasn't all that interested in where they came from, anyway.

"Gato hired us to take care of Zabuza," the apparent leader growled, "but he said we'd get bonuses if we could off some Leaf-nin while we were at it."

Gaara and Hinata glanced at each other and smiled, but said nothing.

"What's so funny?" the leader demanded.

"I'm afraid you'll have to go back empty-handed," Hinata said quietly, dropping a hand to her sheathed sword's hilt. "Momochi Zabuza is dead, and the one who killed him is still here."

"We'd be glad to accept the reward on your behalf," Gaara added with a smirk.

"What the boss don't know works for us," the leader grunted, drawing his own katana. "I say we kill you and keep it all."

A suspicion of even an indirect threat was all ANBU usually needed to be cleared of any possible wrongdoing. Gaara could have slaughtered them all without repercussion if he'd even thought they might work for Gato (although no one else could employ such a force in the Land of Waves, so it was a sure thing already). But not only had they admitted to being on Gato's payroll, they'd threatened Leaf-nin.

They were SO dead.

Hinata struck first, although not in the way he'd expected her to. She drew her katana, held it before her face, and said in a strong, clear voice, "Shine, Hizashi!"

The sword apparently heard her that time, because it instantly ceased being a katana, and became a sword that was wider and taller than Hinata herself, yet she did not have any trouble holding it. The blue glow that had been surrounding the sword the entire time suddenly became a blinding, blue light, but for whatever reason, Gaara had no trouble looking directly at it, while their enemies cried out in pain as they covered their eyes a bit too late.

The first lightning bolt took the leader in the chest, and he dropped like a sack of rocks. The rest hit the other thugs almost simultaneously, or at least so fast that there was little chance for any of them to react. Then the blue lightning was gone, and Hinata's sword was a katana again, and it was releasing more than a little smoke.

"Well," Gaara said at last, "you just made this a lot less fun for me."

Hinata blinked and blushed slightly. "Sorry, taichou," she apologized. "I didn't know it would be that effective. But they're all still alive."

"For the moment," Gaara agreed as sand began to pour out of his gourd. "For the moment..."

* * *

_Suna - Training Area - March_

Temari and Kin both winced as Naruto tore through yet another Shadow Clone, his body glowing reddish-orange from the sheer amount of Kyuubi's chakra spilling out of him. Meg, Shiden, and Seikon all huddled together in Temari's lap, watching Naruto brutalize himself in every sense of the word.

And the worst part was, nearly all of them felt Naruto was justified this one time.

They had just returned from a meeting with the Kazekage, and had been told that Naruto, Temari, and Kankurou would arrive in Konoha ahead of schedule. The exams began on the first of July, and now, inexplicably, their arrival had been bumped up to the end of May, which meant they'd be needlessly spending all of June in Konoha. Not only did this give the Leaf even more chances to discover the plans for the invasion, it meant that Naruto would have to endure the hatred of Konoha for even longer. Needless to say, he was not happy about this new development.

Even worse, for some reason this new timetable did not apply to Orochimaru's team, so Kin and her teammates would remain in Suna until a few days before the chuunin exams began. They had all known ahead of time that the Sound could not appear to be allied with the Sand, so while in Konoha, Naruto and Kin especially were to act as if they had never met. Still, they had planned to spend plenty of time together before then, and now even that was impossible.

Temari felt guilty. Part of her had been looking forward to seeing Gaara again, and she'd initially been excited to learn that there would be more time to catch up. But then she and everyone else nearby had felt the violent wave of demonic chakra roll over them, and she instantly remembered that this would be particularly upsetting for Naruto.

But after nearly an hour of watching Naruto attack his own clones, she'd had enough. Temari dumped the weasels in Kin's lap, stood up, and marched across the sand, ignoring Kin's shouts for her to stop.

Naruto had just destroyed another clone when he froze, sensing Temari's presence behind him. He kept his back to her, and said simply, "Not now, Temari."

"Yes, NOW," she insisted.

"FINE!" he roared, whipping around and glaring at her with red eyes. "What do you want NOW?!"

"Not much," Temari replied calmly, staring into his eyes, searching for any trace of her little brother. "Just wanted to say that I love you."

The red eyes turned to blue, and the demonic chakra soon faded. "What?" Naruto whispered.

"I love you," Temari repeated firmly. "Now, and always. Even when you've got red eye and smell like burning flesh, which really stinks, by the way."

Naruto just stared at her, unable to say anything.

"Maybe I don't know exactly what you're going through, but I'm one of the few people that has a pretty good idea. So don't ever forget that you're not alone in this." With that, she turned away and started back towards the village. "Now, come on. Watching you beat yourself senseless makes a girl hungry." She hadn't gotten far when Naruto's arms wrapped around her waist from behind, and he buried his face in her back.

"Nee-chan," he said softly, "it still hurts."

"It probably always will, Naruto. But you can't let it beat you. You're much stronger than that. Don't think about how much it hurts. Think about how far you've come since they were able to hurt you. Anyone who looks at you wrong can taste the back of my fan. That's more mercy than they would've gotten from Gaara or Kankurou, anyway."

Naruto lifted his head. "Where's he always sneaking off to, by the way?"

Temari shrugged. "Who knows? Probably playing with his puppets. He'll spend days working on one if it breaks. Better to just leave him alone."

* * *

When Haku finally regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was Ino's face peering down into his.

"So you escaped," he said softly. "I take it your sensei is free, too?"

Ino nodded. "I told you. I couldn't leave him."

"I understand." Haku took a deep breath, wincing. "I understood the first time you told me. I feel the same way about..." He trailed off and coughed suddenly, a loud, wet cough that had a small amount of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

"Maybe you shouldn't talk," Ino murmured worriedly.

Haku was touched by the concern in her voice, but knew he didn't deserve it. "No. But you must know. I have caused you enough pain."

"I know you were the one who attacked my sensei," Ino blurted out.

"True, but not what I wanted to tell you." Haku closed his eyes tightly. "You will not become pregnant."

This had been one of the more distant worries in Ino's mind, as she'd been more concerned with just surviving overall. But now that it had been said out loud, it was impossible to just ignore it. "How do you know?"

Haku opened his eyes, staring at the wall. "In your food... I sprinkled the nectar of a certain flower. When I checked your injuries... I also applied other contraceptives, to be certain. I had to do... something more, and this was the only-"

Ino suddenly leaned down and slid her arms around his neck, hugging him gently.

Haku closed his eyes, wishing she would let go. She was not quite aggravating his multiple injuries, but he almost wished she was, so he could use that as an excuse. His eyes moved away from the bright blond hair brushing his face, and he realized that they were in a small bedroom, most likely in Tazuna's house.

He could also see Shikamaru sitting by the door, and the boy's lips twisted into a dark scowl as their eyes met.

"Would it make any difference," Haku said softly, his eyes never leaving Shikamaru's, "if I said I was sorry?"

Ino squeezed him a little more before letting go. "I was on a mission. So were you. Sometimes you don't have much choice in what you have to do for the mission. Right?"

Haku sighed heavily. "Ino, I-"

"Right?" she repeated, a hint of desperation in her voice.

Haku stared at her in silence. Why did she so want to believe that he was a good person? Why did Yugito, for that matter? Why couldn't they hate him the way he truly deserved? That would have made this so much easier. "I take no pleasure in harming anyone," he said at last. "I only wanted to be useful... to have a purpose. And now... that is not enough."

"You can have a new purpose," Ino said, a weak smile on her lips. "You can let me repay your kindness."

"You don't owe me anything," he protested.

"Then just do me a favor!" Ino insisted, her eyes narrowing. "Okay?"

If nothing else, Haku was impressed by the strength in her voice. He'd never heard it before, and somehow, it suited her. "Okay. But I'm... tired. I need to sleep for a while."

Ino smiled. "Fine. I'll check on you later." She squeezed his hand briefly, then left the room, touching Shikamaru's shoulder fondly as she passed him.

"Why does she care about you?" Shikamaru demanded the moment they were alone.

"I only know I don't deserve it," Haku replied. "You don't need to worry about killing me, I'll be dead soon enough."

"Thanks. For not telling her that," Shikamaru muttered.

Haku shook his head. "I've hurt her too much as it is. I would do anything to spare her more pain."

"Would you tell us where Zabuza is?"

For a moment, something in Haku was ready to resist. Then he remembered the feel of Ino's arms around his neck, and his will broke. "If he hasn't come for me yet, he's either already gone or dead."

Shikamaru cursed, then began to pace back and forth, muttering under his breath.

"Don't let Ino see me again," Haku whispered.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not going to wake up," Haku replied as he closed his eyes for the final time.

* * *

_Sound Desert Base - March_

Though she hated to admit it, Tayuya was getting used to sensing another presence in her quarters, whether she was half-asleep or wide awake. It scared her, how easy it was to drop her guard around Iruka. He was just so... different from everyone else she'd ever met.

The first time she'd woken up in bed to find him spooning her, Tayuya had nearly killed him out of reflex. But Iruka had only laughed, even while she had grudgingly bandaged him up later on. From that point on, it was understood that he was allowed in her bed, but the only part of him that was allowed to touch her was his lips, and even then she had to be awake and willing, which was rare.

Yet, Iruka didn't seem to mind the restriction. He claimed that waking up next to her was the high point of any day, and being able to watch her sleep was its own reward. THAT had freaked her out nearly as much as the frequent occasions when he snuck up behind her and gently kissed the top of her head. It was almost as if he genuinely loved her, seal or no seal.

But the connection did not work just the one way. When Iruka woke up in the middle of the night, coated in sweat and cursing the Kyuubi or moaning for his parents, she felt his pain and wished for it to leave him. And because that was her greatest wish in those times, it did. The seal was useful in that way, at least. Tayuya found that if she touched the seal, Iruka's body would relax completely, as if he had no bones at all. Stroking it would put him to sleep for hours. She knew instinctively that if she ever kissed or licked the seal, he would never know greater pleasure. Only she had such power over him, but knowing Iruka, he would not consider that a weakness.

But the seal had its downside, just like every other Orochimaru had ever applied to his followers. Iruka did not transform like any other bearer of the cursed seal had. Perhaps it was the fact that he retained his humanity while the dark power washed over him that made him truly frightening. The few times she had seen the black chakra rising from his skin like smoke, Tayuya had instantly used the seal to suppress it. She hated the idea of him transforming because of her, and if he ever did, he wouldn't be the same Iruka that she'd gotten used to.

Iruka never said so, but she knew he felt the same way, and feared the transformation just as much as she did.

So when Tayuya woke up one night to find Iruka's side of the bed cold, she knew something was very wrong. There was nothing that could convince him not to sleep next to her.

Nothing except the Kyuubi.

They had figured out that Iruka's black chakra seemed to flare up whenever he felt the Kyuubi's chakra flaring as well. And the only thing that amazed Tayuya more than how Iruka managed to endure the suffering was how Naruto managed to as well. He was still just a boy, no matter what demon he possessed, and just his raw power alone might be able to overwhelm all of Iruka's battle experience, which was considerable.

It didn't take Tayuya long to find Iruka, though: he had collapsed only a few feet from the bed, and was lying on his stomach, writhing in agony on the floor. The black chakra was rising from his skin again, but a great deal of it was concentrated on his right arm, which was solid black from the fingertips to the shoulder.

Tayuya was moving before she realized it, and although an amused voice in the back of her head thought to question why Iruka was naked, she ignored it (for the most part) for the moment. In a heartbeat, she was kneeling beside him, pressing two fingers firmly against the seal at the base of his neck. "Make the pain the go away," she whispered.

At once, Iruka groaned, and the black chakra began to dissipate. His arm, however, remained that charcoal black color. Tayuya bit her lip, wondering if things would be different, had she found him a little earlier.

"Tayuya-chan," Iruka whispered, slowly turning his head towards her. "Don't cry..."

She blinked, and was startled to feel dampness on her cheeks. When had that happened? There was no time to figure it out, because Iruka was sitting up and reaching for her, and for no reason that she could identify, she allowed him to pull her closer and press his face into her shoulder. Her eyes went back to his right arm, and she wondered again if that was her fault.

"Wow. I'm sitting here naked, and the only part that interests you is my arm," Iruka murmured. "You really know how to kick a guy when he's down, Tayuya-chan."

Tayuya poked his arm experimentally and smirked. "Yeah, well, it's the hardest thing on you right now, so how do you think I feel?"

"Well, if you REALLY want a better reaction, you could lose those clothes and-" He stopped talking and grabbed her wrist in order to stop the fist that was aimed at his chin. "It was just a suggestion."

"Bite me, you bastard!"

"Maybe later," Iruka replied, raising her hand to his mouth and gently kissing her knuckles. "Right now, I just want to sleep for a week."

To Tayuya's growing surprise, he helped her up and climbed right back into the bed.

"Hey, where the fuck are your clothes?" she demanded.

Iruka grinned merrily at her. "Chakra burned them off. Damnedest thing, really. Guess I'll have to sleep naked. And you know what they say, Tayuya-chan. 'When in Rome...'"

"The fucking Romans find some new clothes to put on before they get their filthy asses kicked, that's what! Move it, shit stain!"

"The correct response would've been to take your clothes off, too..."

"Don't make me repeat myself, you fucker!"

Iruka sighed heavily. "You know, we both know that you like looking at me when I'm naked. Do we really have to pretend otherwise?"

Tayuya's face turned bright red as she shook with anger. "You..." she growled.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'd LOVE to see you naked."

Tayuya punched him in the gut, then jumped onto the bed, and purposely stomped on him as she made her way back over to her side of the bed. Once there, she laid down, shut her eyes, and refused to even face in his general direction.

But she didn't have to. Iruka smiled to himself as he closed his eyes, because he knew all too well that at least part of Tayuya's face had been red because she was blushing, and that meant he was doing his job, and doing it well.

* * *

_Land of Waves - Tazuna's House - March_

Sasuke was slowly eating a bowl of Yugito's spicy soup when Hinata and Gaara walked into the kitchen. He looked up, and never paused in his eating, but his eyes followed them as they sat down on either side of him. Hinata leaned over to kiss his cheek, but Sasuke turned his head at the last second and took full advantage, firmly pressing his lips to hers. Hinata's eyes drifted shut, and he felt the brief, soft pressure of her tongue against his lips before she pulled back, smiling hugely.

"That soup is very tasty," Hinata said, her eyes never leaving his.

"Should I make a bowl for you, or do you just want to keep eating it that way?" Yugito called from the stove, smirking.

"First one, then the other." Hinata plucked the spoon from Sasuke's hand, tasted the soup, and sighed. "It loses something on the spoon, though..."

"Well, sorry, but I think Sasuke-san would mind if I shared my soup with you the way he did," Yugito chuckled as she set a bowl of soup in front of Hinata and Gaara each.

"Actually," Sasuke began, earning a mild glance from Hinata, "I'd get over it pretty quickly."

Gaara's spoon clattered loudly against his bowl, and when everyone looked at him in surprise, he blinked. "Slipped," he said shortly.

"I guess it really is every guy's fantasy," Yugito sighed, shaking her head.

Eager to change the subject, Gaara put his soup to the side. "Report."

Sasuke put his spoon down. "Zabuza's apprentice has been incapacitated and is being held for further questioning."

"Zabuza is dead," Hinata added, feeling the tiniest bit pleased when Sasuke's eyebrows shot up in obvious shock. "His sword has been secured, and his body properly disposed of."

"All of Zabuza's men have been accounted for," Gaara concluded. "The hostages have been freed in fair condition."

"That only leaves Gato and whatever thugs he has left on his payroll," Yugito murmured, her eyes narrowing.

Sasuke shot Yugito a wary glance. "I know she's a decent cook, but is that really reason enough to let her listen in on mission debriefings?"

Yugito frowned at him and looked to Gaara, who sighed.

"I have sufficient reason to believe she is not currently a threat to our mission," Gaara said, and there was no further protest on Yugito's involvement.

At that moment, Inari walked into the kitchen. He stopped, swallowed noisily, and said, "Zabuza's men have been 'accounted for,' you said. Is that what you always call it when you slaughter defenseless people?"

Hinata frowned. "Inari-kun..."

"NO! I SAW you at the bridge!" Inari shouted, pointing a shaking finger at Gaara. "They were down already! And you just... just... blood, everywhere..." His face drained of color. "You're a monster... worse than Gato ever was..."

Before Gaara could react, Yugito placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"You don't understand, Inari-kun," Hinata pleaded. "Just listen-"

"No, he doesn't understand," Asuma said as he appeared behind Inari, with Ino right behind him. "But maybe he should."

Yugito frowned. "You shouldn't be walking around, Asuma-san. Your wounds..."

"Won't kill me," Asuma finished, taking off his shirt. "Though there were times that I wondered."

Inari's eyes widened at the sight of Asuma's heavily scarred chest. It looked as if someone had taken a very large knife to his chest several times, for no reason other than to cause pain.

"The people who were holding us hostage, Inari. The ones who murdered your father. They're animals, plain and simple. If Gaara hadn't stopped them at the bridge, your village would've been wiped off the map, and both you and your mother would be dead or worse. You have no idea how much you owe him. You can take issue with his methods, but not his reasoning. He and his squad just saved your home and everyone in it."

Yugito stepped forward and embraced Inari from behind. "Two of those bad men broke into your home and tried to hurt your mother, Inari-kun. I killed them to stop them. I'm no different from Gaara in that respect. Am I monster, too? These aren't the kind of people who stop trying just because you beat them once."

Sasuke noticed that Ino went white as Yugito spoke, but decided not to mention it just then.

"Killing may not always be the best answer," Gaara admitted slowly, "but if someone had killed Gato when he first arrived here, you never would've needed our help in the first place... and you might still have your father."

Inari tore himself out of Yugito's arms, tears streaming down his face as he ran upstairs.

"Taichou..." Hinata whispered in shock. "That was cruel."

Gaara nodded. "So is life. But I only have to deal with my enemies the one time."

"They're... all dead?" Ino asked softly. "All of them?"

"Yes," Hinata answered. "They can't hurt you anymore, Ino-chan."

Ino bit her lip as she turned to Gaara. "Thank you for saving me... but, why didn't you just kill Haku, too? Why did you have to... torture her, and leave her alive with such serious wounds?"

Gaara stared at her. "Haku?"

"Zabuza's apprentice," Ino said, her voice shaking.

"I had no dealings with that one."

"But-"

"I did," Sasuke chimed in.

Ino turned to him, disbelief in her eyes. "You, Sasuke-kun? Why?"

"Haku knew where you were, and refused to lead me to you. All the damage you saw was from an attack I reflected back on him. It was him or me, Ino. Shikamaru found us after that, and we kept Haku alive until we knew for certain that you and Asuma were safe."

"And now you do want to kill her?"

Sasuke blinked at Ino's insistence on calling Haku a girl, but ignored it. "It would be best," he admitted.

"She was kind to me! She shouldn't have to die for that! Is that all you people think about? How you can increase your body count? I bet I know where you learned it from, too! I don't know what Hokage-sama was thinking when he allowed-"

Gaara narrowed his eyes, and in an instant, a thick layer of sand slapped itself over Ino's mouth. "It is not your place to question Hokage-sama. Do so again, and I will have no choice but to arrest you for treason. His orders have saved your life. Mine can still take it away."

"Ino suffered worse than I did while we were prisoners," Asuma explained quickly. "She's still a little on edge. I'm sure she meant no disrespect to the Sandaime."

Gaara frowned, but the sand fell away from Ino's mouth (and she quickly moved behind Asuma).

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone so loyal to him," Asuma continued, sounding impressed.

"He gave me something I'd never had before I met him: control over my own life. It is not something easily forgotten."

Asuma nodded, as if making up his mind about something. "I want to give you something, Gaara. It's why we captured in the first place, and why I've never had a shortage of strong opponents seeking my head." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bloodstained, gray sash. "This bears the symbol of the 12 Guard Ninjas of Fire, who were responsible for protecting the Fire Lord. Anyone who wears this is a marked man... but it is also a symbol of great power and skill. As of today, I am no longer fit to wear it, but I believe that you are. Will you accept it?"

Wordlessly, Gaara reached out and took the sash, slowly tying it around his neck. He had always been very careful about what symbols he wore. He had yet to actually wear anything that bore the Konoha Leaf, and in true motherly fashion, Karura had sent sand clones after anyone who tried to brand him with the ANBU tattoo. But he wore Kakashi's mask, and he bore Anko's kisses, and those few closest to him knew they had his loyalty. That had been enough for a time. But Gaara did not want Shukaku's seal to be the only mark he ever wore. The sash would remind that he had earned Asuma's respect, and that someone else understood that you sometimes had to kill in order to protect.

* * *

_Konoha - Hokage's Office - March_

"I hope," the Sandaime Hokage said slowly, "that you can understand my position on this."

"Of course, Hokage-sama," Kurenai agreed with a nod. "It was never my intention to go against you."

"I know that, Kurenai, but you must understand that Enma and the other monkeys won't see it that way. To them, you might as well have signed the snake summoning contract. That's just how low their opinion of the Son branch is right now."

"I have never known them to be anything but helpful to Asuma," Kurenai replied, frowning.

The Hokage smiled sadly. "That is precisely where the problem comes in. By all rights, when Asuma turned his back on the family, his summoning priveledges should have been revoked. But the Son branch chose to draw up their own contracts so that Asuma could continue to summon them. That is only one of the reasons that Enma refuses to recognize them. Unfortunately, he does not forgive as easily as I do."

Kurenai narrowed her eyes impatiently. "What is it that you expect me to do, Hokage-sama? I asked Son Gohan for a favor, and he delivered it in exchange for my assistance. I can't go back on my word now. Frankly, I don't see how it has anything to do with Enma. He obviously wants nothing to do with Asuma and the Son branch, and that is his choice, just as this is mine. I have no intention of ever calling on Enma's aid, so I fail to see how he's involved at all. I won't apologize for being concerned about Team Ten, nor will I apologize for using a summoning scroll that was given to me in case of emergency, which I determined that this was. If Enma has a problem with that, then maybe he should've swallowed his pride and saved Team 10 himself."

For several seconds, the Sandaime said nothing at all. He appeared to be thinking, or more precisely, recalling something. Finally, he nodded and said softly, "Thank you, Kurenai."

She blinked. "For what, Hokage-sama?"

"For loving him," the old man murmured.

Kurenai's face turned as red as her eyes as she nodded and hurried out of the office.

"My hands are tied in this matter, old friend," the Hokage sighed, carefully lifting the thick, solid black staff that had been resting in his lap. "To punish her would be no different from banishing my son a second time. Not to mention what Gohan would do. There are only bad feelings between you and he now. Best not to turn such a crafty creature into an enemy."

"You agree with her," the staff accused in a deep growl.

"I understand her. It is true that you have banished Goku and his family, but does that also mean you have stopped loving him?"

"He is no longer a Son of Enma."

"And yet he walks with my son," the Sandaime pointed out, "and has been a faithful companion through countless trials. Can it really be so hard to forgive Goku?"

There was no reply from the staff.

The Hokage sighed again and shook his head. "I hope you will see things my way, one day. And I hope you do not have to lose someone else precious to learn the lessons that I have, old friend. Life is too short to cast away any of your children for any length of time."

* * *

There were several things that Haku did not understand.

His body felt strange... lighter, somehow. And he was almost positive that it was glowing faintly. This was especially noticeable, since he was surrounded by darkness on all sides.

He could hear Ino crying, but she did not sound as if she were in pain, at least. Yet her sadness hurt him worse than any of the wounds he had recieved.

"This is the end for us, Haku."

He was not quite surprised when Zabuza appeared, although somehow the man seemed shorter without his sword.

"We had... a good run," Haku murmured.

Zabuza's eyes narrowed. "So you've forgiven me that easily, huh? You were always too soft."

Haku smiled sadly. "You may have changed in our time together, Zabuza, but from where I stand, your eyes are still no different from mine. You found me on a bridge. It is fitting that we should end fighting over one, too."

"No regrets, then?"

"Only that we did not meet sooner."

"Liar," Zabuza chuckled, but there was no venom in his tone. "You wish you had betrayed me and saved the girl. I knew you were soft, but I never thought you would lose your head over a girl, Haku. I thought you were smarter than that."

"I wish I was in love with Ino," Haku whispered. "Then, at least, I would understand why I feel this way. Instead, I only have this need to talk to her, to tell her that I..."

"Save it. We've got company."

"Are you surprised to see me again so soon, Haku?" Yugito asked, walking out of the darkness.

Zabuza snorted. "TWO girls? Both of them blond? I've lost all respect for you, Haku."

"You... you're dying, too?" Haku asked. As soon as the words left his lips, he realized that they must have applied to all three of them. How else could he see Zabuza, unless he was about to die?

"That's... complicated," Yugito answered evasively. "All that matters now is that you're not dead yet. Not for good, anyway..."

Haku blinked. "You're not dying of head trauma, are you?"

"I know I must sound crazy," Yugito sighed, "but I promise you I'm not. Remember how I was able to sneak up on you, Haku? You didn't sense me because there was nothing to sense. I've died before, and my body recalls that moment with such clarity that I can return to that state whenever I wish. There are few humans who can detect me once I've done that, and you are not among them. But you can be."

"Shinigami," Zabuza whispered in awe. "Can it be? I was always told they did not assume human form..."

"Oh, I was born human. This part came later. The point is that it doesn't have to end here for Haku. He can still be saved."

Zabuza grunted. "Go on, Haku. Do what she says."

Haku turned to him, clearly startled. "But without purpose, even a second life has no-"

"I thought you wanted to talk Ino?" Yugito snapped. "I thought you wanted to face her one more time? Well, this is your chance. Your ONLY chance."

* * *

_Gato Corporation - Land of Waves Office - March_

Gato cursed and tore the note in his hands to shreds, slamming it into the ashtray and setting the whole thing ablaze with the last of his cigar. "Damn it!" he growled.

"Something wrong, boss?" asked a voice behind him.

Cursing again, Gato nearly fell out of his chair. "SHIT! Don't DO that, Akira! How many fucking times do I have to say not to sneak up on me?!"

The bodyguard merely stared at his employer impassively, his bulging white eyes looking right through the smaller man. That he chose to wear a blood-red mask that revealed only his eyes made the effect even more striking.

Gato gulped nervously. He absolutely hated it when Akira looked at him that way, and he only put up with it because Akira had never let anyone even come close to touching him. The man had shown up out of the blue one night, ruthlessly slaughtered Gato's trio of bodyguards, and demanded the job himself... for the same pay as all three combined.

And he was worth it.

The truth was that Gato still knew next to nothing about Akira. But the little he did know was based on the fact that if he didn't keep the man on his payroll, someone would kill him... most likely Akira himself. And based on the way that Akira liked to kill, it would be a slow, torturous death.

Akira liked to go for the eyes. He knew how to pluck them out with a flick of his wrist, or so slowly that it was agonizing just to watch... all while his victims were still alive. As for what he did with the eyes once he had them, Gato didn't know. He never found any jars of them, so there was no collection. But he had the strangest feeling that he did NOT want to know where all those eyes went.

"Bad news?" Akira asked casually.

"Yeah," Gato grunted. "My spies tell me that the second force I sent in has been wiped out. I know you specialize in protection, but I can see we'll have to head into town and remind those peasants who they're dealing with. Even with Tazuna dead, they're still causing problems. I'll just have to make an example out of his family again. He's got a pretty daughter, if I remember right. Big, beautiful eyes."

"Really," Akira murmured, sounding far more interested.

Gato laughed darkly. "She's all yours, so long as you make it public and messy."

"Sounds like fun, boss. I'll go round up some men."

"You do that. I'm not gonna let some little redheaded snot ruin my business."

Akira nodded as Gato stormed out of the room, then sighed. It was a good job, although not very interesting. But he already knew that no amount of men would be able to take down the kid. This kind of problem called for a special kind of ninja, and the only one that Gato had been paying was dead, according to the latest reports. Shame, too. Zabuza had been an excellent sparring partner. His kid, even better.

But he was going up against Leaf-nin, and that could be a problem, even if they were young. He was especially concerned about the one described as having huge white eyes. It was common practice to send Hyuuga into unknown territory for scouting, so he wasn't surprised. But on the off chance that the Hyuuga recognized his eyes, he could not let them make it back to the village.

Akira had worked hard to fade out of existence, and he wouldn't let a kid ruin that. He had not danced the line between Hyuuga and Uchiha all these years just to let a brat take it all away. His eyes were white now, but sometimes, they were red and black, and he had not forgotten the tricks that went along with them.

"I wonder if the next generation of Hyuuga has any talent. Guess we'll find out, little cousin. It's too bad I'll have to kill you, but I'll make sure to put your gifted eyes to good use..."

**End of Chapter 20.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Gaara meets Akira. Naruto and Kankurou decide to vent… against each other. Kurenai's deal with Gohan lands her in some risky business. Hanabi has a meeting with the Sandaime Hokage.

Endnotes:

Akira is a character I made up five minutes before I ended this chapter, so don't bother trying to look him up.

Kagome's jutsu:

**Kekkai no Hikari (Barrier of Light):**

Kagome can erect a holy barrier to protect against large scale attacks. The larger the area the shield must cover (or the more powerful the attack it guards against), the more likely it is that the area inside will receive slight damage.

Kikyou's jutsu:

**Kuroi Fuun (Dark Fate):**

Kikyou can influence destiny for a brief moment, so that an event (usually an attack) meant for one target can be directed at another. This severely drains her spiritual power, and can only be used once a week.

Shikamaru's jutsu:

**Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique)**

**a.k.a. Kage Shibari no Jutsu (Shadow Bind Technique)**

The user's shadow is extended to the opponent's shadow, combining them. This puts the attacker in control of the target's movements- the target is forced to make any movement the user makes. It is an extremely versatile technique.

Hizashi's jutsu:

**Aoi Kekkai (Blue Barrier):**

The sword gives off a visible aura that can shock or paralyze anyone who touches it without permission. This aura can be focused and released in the form of energy bolts, which have the added effect of sealing off a large number of chakra channels when they strike.


	20. The Demon Hidden in the Sand

Notes: The Land of Waves storyline has taken on a life of its own, but it ends here. And for those of you who wanted to know what Naruto and Kankurou are capable of now, that's here, too.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 20: The Demon Hidden in the Sand**

* * *

_Land of Waves - March_

Haku died quietly in his sleep. Shikamaru had been keeping a constant eye on him, and he was sure that Zabuza's apprentice had not suffered.

Ino did not cry, but a heartbroken expression took up residence on her face and refused to leave.

They had initially planned to bury him in the forest, but Yugito came up with another suggestion, one that was both tasteful and surprising, as no one else had thought of it: they would lay Haku to rest in a small canoe, along with the few possessions he had on him, and let the flowing water take him where it would. Sasuke had quickly seconded the idea, saying that Haku would've preferred to be close to the water.

Gaara chose not to participate at first, since he hadn't known Haku. But then he changed his mind: he'd never seen a "death ceremony" (as he insisted on calling it) before, and suspected he might actually learn something.

Tsunami, Yugito, and Ino cleaned the body (Tsunami and Yugito had prepared bodies before, and Ino wanted to do one last thing for Haku). Ino had been shocked to learn that Haku was most definitely a boy, but did not comment on it.

Hinata had nothing else to contribute, so she picked a few bunches of wildflowers, and under Ino's careful supervision, decorated the canoe with them.

In a surprising move, Sasuke had gone back to the bridge and fished out some of Haku's lost senbon. He grudgingly admitted that Haku had been a worthy opponent, and felt it was the least he could do. He didn't say so aloud, but Sasuke was also angry because Kikyou had been the one to ultimately defeat Haku. He would never improve if she finished all of his opponents. But at the same time, he wasn't about to let his pride cause him serious injury or worse. They would just have to set some boundaries in the future.

When everything was ready, there was an awkward pause as everyone tried to think of something fitting to say. Yugito solved this problem by merely giving the canoe a gentle push.

They watched as Haku drifted serenely away from the village, and vanished into the natural wall of mist surrounding the island.

What they did not see, however, were the four silent, identical figures waiting in water. As the canoe floated over, they secured it between them and carefully guided it to a deserted riverbank.

And as she walked with the others back to Tazuna's house, Yugito smiled slightly. "Haku is in a better place now. I know he'll be just fine."

Ino shot her a curious look, but eventually nodded and managed a small smile. "I hope so, Yugito-san."

* * *

_Konoha - Hokage's Office - March_

The Sandaime Hokage was impressed. While he had always tried to be an approachable leader, most children were too intimidated to walk up to him on the street, save for his grandson Konohamaru.

They certainly didn't make appointments to see him.

But this child had. Had even shown up early, in fact.

He was not sure how she'd escaped her usual entourage of Branch House guards, but he understood that having done so, what she wanted to discuss would be for his ears only.

And, sure enough, Hyuuga Hanabi had only been in his office long enough to sit down before she asked calmly, "Why has the will of the Yondaime been ignored, Hokage-sama?"

"For the very same reason that you are seeing me in secret, I suspect," the old man sighed. "What is right, is not always accepted. I have tried to enforce the Yondaime's wishes, but to effectively do that, I would have to execute over half of the civilian population, and a good deal of ninja, as well. And as the Yondaime gave his life for this village, I do not believe he would agree with such drastic measures."

Hanabi frowned, remembering the weeping boy at the Hokage Monument. "I believe... he would be very sad."

"You are right," he agreed, surprising her. "We had many conversations on the difficulty of helping the people see what is best for them, especially if it is something they are unlikely to accept, even over time."

"Is that why Uzumaki Naruto is gone? Because he was not accepted?"

The Sandaime closed his eyes for a long moment. "If it had just been that, I would have done my best to convince him to stay and rise above their hatred. But Naruto had reached a point where he preferred death to staying in this village. Despite the Yondaime's wishes, I could not force the boy to endure any more undeserved torment. I do not believe his life has been carefree since then, but I know he is in a place where he will not be hated for his very existence. It's terrible, but I believe he would've even welcomed indifference. It certainly would have been safer for him."

Hanabi thought for a few seconds. "Will he ever come back?"

"Yes, actually. He will be a member of the Sand team that is participating in the upcoming chuunin exams. I am told they will be arriving at the end of May."

"Please allow me to serve as his guide while he is here, Hokage-sama," Hanabi said, bowing her head.

The Sandaime stared at her curiously. "Your father... no, your clan head... would never agree to that, child."

Hanabi nodded. "That is precisely why I am asking. Naruto has little reason to hate me. We have never met. I believe I can reach him, and there may not be another chance."

"And what would you say to him? I don't think this village has changed enough for Naruto to consider calling it home again."

"I would tell him the truth: that he will never be accepted here, but that there can still be a place for him here. Gaara found his. Naruto can do the same, if he is willing to try."

"You understand that he could kill you," the old man said quietly. "He might even be under orders from the Kazekage to do something like that. You would just be tempting fate."

Hanabi shook her head. "If he would kill me, then there was never any hope of saving him. And in that case, Gaara would kill him." She said this with such certainty that it would've been pointless to argue with her.

"Can you give me any solid reason why I should willingly place you in such danger, when you are not even a genin yet?" the Sandaime asked.

Hanabi hesitated, but knew she had no other choice. "My Uchiha bloodline has awakened. It has been with me for as long as I can remember, and I know how to wield it. I have spoken to the spirit of the Yondaime, and I firmly believe that this is his will. He does not wish to lose Naruto a second time."

The old man looked startled, to say the least. Finally, he cleared his throat. "I cannot officially give you a mission. But you may consider this part of your training. You are my newest sleeper, Hyuuga Hanabi."

"I will do my best, Hokage-sama," Hanabi promised with a nod.

* * *

"We haven't talked about it at all."

Ino jerked her head up from the pillow, her wide eyes sweeping the room to land on Shikamaru, who stood in the doorway. She frowned and lowered her head. "I'm aware," she said curtly.

Shikamaru closed his eyes briefly. "Ino. I know it's none of our business. We all do. But we're worried about you. Asuma won't tell us anything."

Ino shut her eyes tightly, feeling a sudden surge of appreciation for her sensei. "Then you should've taken the hint, Shikamaru."

"Ino. Please. I don't know what you're going through, but that's only because you won't talk to me about it. You're not okay. You can't be."

"No, I'm not okay," Ino snapped. "I'm a kunoichi, I'm on a mission, and I've been wounded. I'll manage."

Shikamaru walked slowly over to the bed, a pained look in his eyes. "Don't do that, Ino. Don't pretend that this is just cuts and bruises. This isn't something you can ignore."

"I'm NOT ignoring it. I'm just going to deal with it later. Right now, I just want to focus on what's in front of me."

"Can you really do that, though?"

Ino glared at him. "I COULD, if you didn't bring it up anymore."

He shook his head. "You know, Gaara and the others have been handling things fine on their own. We're still recovering, so we can let them-"

"Slaughter everything in their path. I get it, Shikamaru. They can have that mission. My mission is to get home in one piece. I know none of us is in any condition to travel. That's why I'm trying to rest up now, so I'll be ready to leave as soon as we can. And I'd appreciate if you left me alone so I can do that. I think I deserve that much."

"Fine," Shikamaru agreed faster than she'd expected. "But there is something you need to know."

"What, Shikamaru?" Ino sighed in frustration.

He looked away, training his gaze on the wall. "If... you want to cancel our engagement, I'll accept that."

Her eyes widened. "Wha... what?" Shikamaru almost never talked about their impending arranged marriage, and even when he did, he had never seemed all that enthusiastic about it. Ino had just assumed that trying to get out of it would prove to be too much work for him. Now, though, she wondered if she had misjudged him. Maybe she was imagining it, but he almost sounded upset about the possibility of them no longer getting married.

"If you don't want to, I'll accept that, too," he was quick to add. "I just... I don't want to pressure you into something you don't want anymore. If you ever feel that way, just say so and I'll back off."

Ino's face fell. "So we can't even fight anymore? How am I supposed to get back to normal if you just give up all the time?"

He shrugged. "My parents make it work somehow. Maybe it's a sign for us, too. I don't know."

"Shikamaru..." she began hesitantly.

"I'll take care of you, Ino... if that's what you want," Shikamaru said softly. "If you don't want anything to do with me, because I failed you... I won't like it, but I'll accept it. Just... let me know when you make up your mind, okay?"

"I never blamed you!" Ino cried. "Any of you! It wasn't your fault. None of us were ready for this, me included. I just want to deal with this on my own terms, and I have every right to. Okay?"

"Okay," Shikamaru agreed after several moments. "But I'm not going anywhere, Ino. Not without you. Not unless you tell me different."

Ino closed her eyes in a half-hearted attempt not to cry, but it did little good. "Thank you, Shika," she whispered after he had gone.

* * *

_Suna - Training Area - April_

"Are you sure about this?" Temari asked for the third time. "You really shouldn't fight Naruto when he's in one of his moods, you know."

Kankurou nodded distractedly as he knelt on the sand and carefully unwrapped his puppet. "We both need to let off some steam, and I need to see how Karasu does in battle with the improvements I made. You worry too much, Temari."

Temari still couldn't help hovering over his shoulder as he did some last-minute checks on Karasu, who looked largely the same in her eyes. "I'm just saying that Naruto knows your fighting style, so don't be surprised if he beats you. He's even helped you with Karasu before."

"He hasn't seen this version in action. No one has. Which is kind of the point." Kankurou waved her off. "Go sit on the sidelines and cheer for him, if you want. I've got this."

Temari sighed and walked across the training field, where Naruto was sitting and stretching his legs while Kin looked on. "Do you guys really have to do this today?"

"Yup," Naruto replied, not even looking up at her.

"What's the point?" Temari demanded.

"He wants to try out his new toys, and I want to beat something up. Simple."

Temari turned on Kin. "Aren't you going to say something?"

Kin shrugged. "They need to stay sharp if they're going to sweep the exams. Better they fight each other than one of us, right? I've still got bruises from the last time Naruto wanted to play with me."

"Maybe they would've healed faster if you'd let Naruto kiss them like he wanted to?" Shiden asked, poking her head out of Kin's long hair.

Kin turned bright red and quickly shoved the weasel's head back into the curtain of her hair, despite the muffled protests.

"Well, at least they trust you more now," Temari reasoned, smirking. Shiden had especially taken to Kin, but the Sound kunoichi had not determined if that was a blessing or a curse yet.

"Joy," Kin said dryly. "Oh, hey, they're about to start!"

Sure enough, Naruto hopped up and faced Kankurou, who was waiting patiently with Karasu sitting lifelessly at his feet.

"Any rules?" Naruto asked.

Kankurou shook his head once. "No."

"You must be really confident, then," Naruto concluded, narrowing his eyes. "But I won't go easy on you!"

"I'd never ask you to," Kankurou replied. He made a slight motion with his right hand, and Karasu instantly cartwheeled up to its feet with barely a sound.

Naruto's eyebrows shot up. Karasu had always made a distinctive noise when it moved before, and if not for Kankurou's uncanny ability to camouflage the puppet so well, it would've been completely impractical to use on missions. But now that Karasu could move in virtual silence, Naruto had to be twice as careful, since he couldn't depend on his ears to warn him of the puppet's movement.

Of course, that also meant that waiting for Karasu to come at him was out of the question this time.

"It's like I told you last time!" Naruto shouted as he charged. "Your puppet won't do you any good if I keep cutting the strings faster than you can reconnect them!"

"Who says you even can cut them?" Kankurou asked, smirking.

Karasu copied Naruto's motion almost perfectly, except when Naruto pulled out a kunai, a trio of them popped out of Karasu's eyes and mouth.

Caught off guard, Naruto barely managed to turn his charge into a sliding tackle in time, knocking the puppet into the air. But when he turned around to cut Karasu's strings, he got another shock: there were three Karasu plummeting towards him, each with a trio of poison-tipped kunai still protruding from its face.

It was completely impossible, unless... unless the Kankurou on the sidelines wasn't really Kankurou at all. But in all the time that Naruto had known him, Kankurou had NEVER actually entered a battle himself, not when he'd had a puppet available. Still, he had to be sure, because if he were wrong even once, Kankurou would have no problem hitting him with a poison that would leave him sick for a month, no matter what Kyuubi did to break it down faster.

Naruto scrambled to his feet, his eyes glowing bright blue. "Kaze no Kenshin!" (Incarnation of Wind) he shouted, thrusting his hands out in front of him. With a loud roar of wind, the three Karasu bounced off a glowing blue barrier, all three exploding into smoke. Something fell out of the middle puff of smoke, however, and it was none other than a grimacing Kankurou.

"You always used to claim I only knew three jutsu," Kankurou growled. "But a true shinobi knows it isn't how many jutsu you know, it's how well you use the ones you start off with. I know you, Naruto, and I know that no one has ever forced you to use your wind spirit... until now. I want you to remember how you felt in that moment, when you realized that I was better than you thought. I want you to remember the fear you felt, when I used one of your favorite techniques against you. And most of all, I want you to remember that this is only the beginning."

"NARUTO, LOOK OUT!" Temari screamed.

Naruto spun around and caught the charging Karasu with a high kick to its neck, knocking it to the side with ease. But in that moment, Naruto came to realize that Kankurou was right: he had misjudged the puppet user, for Karasu was not the threat that Temari had been warning him about.

While Naruto's leg was still extended from the kick, something shot out of the sand beneath his feet, and even though it only brushed his ankle, a scream flew from his lips as he felt the flesh tear like so much paper.

Instinctively, Naruto thrust his hand at the spot where he'd been attacked, but the wind blast only hit sand and blew him back a few paces... directly into a second attack, which grazed him from the small of his back all the way up to his right shoulder. Still, the pain was enormous, and Naruto collapsed to his knees, biting back another scream of pain. He sensed a presence in front of him, and lashed out at it without hesitation or mercy.

It happened quickly, and Naruto knew he was only responsible for the flames and roaring wind. But when he looked up, he swore that for the briefest of instances, he saw a miniature sandstorm, and for an even briefer instant, a pair of eyes that was very familiar. Then there was an explosion, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up in his bedroom.

Kin was carefully wiping his face with a wet towel, and somewhere in the distance, Naruto could hear Temari yelling at someone, more than likely Kankurou.

"I hate losing," he murmured softly.

"You didn't lose," Kin replied. "It was a draw. Whatever you did destroyed Kankurou's second puppet. At least, we assume it was a puppet. He won't say anything about it."

Naruto closed his eyes. "Tell Temari to stop it. I lost because I underestimated Kankurou. We agreed to hold nothing back, and... well, I hope he wasn't. Because if he was, I feel sorry for the person he doesn't pull any punches with."

Kin's eyes widened. "He was that good?"

He nodded. "I don't think I destroyed the second puppet. It used the explosion to cover its escape. Think about it: if Kankurou lost one of his puppets, he'd be yelling as much as Temari. But I haven't heard a peep out of him. And besides... I think it was alive."

"What are you talking about, Naruto-kun?"

"It... looked at me," Naruto muttered. "Like a real person. And I swear I felt its chakra. I even think I knew it, somehow."

Kin rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. People don't become puppets."

"Kankurou did," Naruto insisted. "At least, he used a Henge and Shadow Clones to make it look like he had..."

"But it was a trick."

"A trick that put me in real danger, and left real scars." He glared at his bandaged ankle. "I want to know how he did it, but he won't tell me. That's how we've always done it. It's fine if I figure it out on my own, just like he figured out my Shadow Clones. But we don't teach each other. We're too different for that."

Kin scowled at him. "So you're not gonna tell me how you beat the puppet?"

"Kyuubi," Naruto replied with a shrug, wincing as he put pressure on his injured shoulder. "Although it helped that I was using my wind spirit at the time, too. Never tried it that way before. I'll have to remember that the next time."

"You do plan to heal before you start training again, right?" Kin asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Naruto grinned. "Aw, you're even cuter when you're worried about me, Kin-chan."

Kin blushed before punching his uninjured shoulder. "Shut up! You'll never heal if you keep making me hit you!"

"You did that on your own!"

"You made me do it!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"DID NOT!"

"DID TOO!"

Neither of them noticed when Shiden poked her head out of Kin's hair, crept down the Sound-nin's back, and very carefully bit Kin's bottom. The end result was that Kin flew into the air and came down rather hard on Naruto's lap. Satisfied, Shiden zipped back into her hiding place before anyone could notice.

Naruto stared at Kin in amusement. "You know, if you just wanted to fight so we could make up and make out, we could've just skipping to the making out..."

"Are you suggesting that I did this on purpose?" Kin demanded angrily.

"Hey, you don't have to admit it, but the stories about a ghost pinching your butt are getting old, Kin-chan..."

"It DID happen!" she insisted firmly. "I didn't just jump on you-"

Sighing, Naruto reached up, grasped a handful of her hair, tugged her face down to his, and silenced her protests with a tender kiss. Kin struggled for a second, then gave in, her arms sliding around his neck.

That was how Temari found them a minute later. Rolling her eyes, she slammed the door behind her and walked to her bed. By the time she reached it, Kin had somehow managed to teleport to the other end of the room, her face glowing red.

"I would say get a room, but I'm afraid of what I might find the next time I walked in here," Temari snickered.

"I... was just checking his temperature!" Kin lied.

"With her tongue," Naruto added in what he thought was a helpful manner.

"NARUTO-KUN, SHUT UP!" Kin shouted, burying her face in her hands.

"The good news is, it's normal. No fever or anything!"

"Yeah, except I think you caught a bad case of fibber's tongue from Kin," Temari snorted. "I don't care if you two make out, but you're not gonna do it while I'm trying to sleep, not unless you can do it quietly."

Naruto grinned. "Sounds like a challenge. I'm up for it! C'mon, Kin-chan, we need to practice!"

* * *

The plan was simple, even though Akira knew that Gato would not stick to it.

Akira was to slip into Tazuna's house at night and kill everyone but Tsunami and her son. The son, they would execute the following morning, in front of the entire village. Tsunami would become Gato's newest plaything. Even without her eyes, she would still be beautiful, and if push came to shove, she could stumble around blindfolded for the rest of her life. It would make her more amusing, or so Gato claimed.

Akira just accepted (again) that his boss was a sick, sick man, and went along with it.

Getting into the house was easy enough: it had no defenses to speak of. Akira didn't even need his Byakugan for it, though he used it, anyway, just to be safe. It wouldn't do for his "cousin" to spot him and wake up everyone else.

But he was pleasantly surprised to discover not only a sleeping Hyuuga girl, but a Uchiha boy curled up right next to her. Akira was one of the few people alive that didn't need to see their eyes to know who they were. He could practically feel out his relatives: they always made his heart race and his palms sweat, even from a distance. Still, it had been a long time since he'd been able to get two at once, and certainly never a Uchiha AND a Hyuuga.

He had just stretched out his hands toward the Hyuuga girl's face when his body was suddenly encased in sand up to his neck.

"I won't strangle you yet," said a chilling voice behind him. "Not until I know exactly what you're doing here."

Akira managed a pained chuckle. "You must be the one that's giving my boss so much trouble. No other way you could've snuck up on me, Red. But don't think I'm a pushover like Zabuza. All you've done is slow me down. And by the way, your first mistake was not killing me immediately. Your second was leaving my eyes uncovered. And your third was touching me, directly or otherwise."

* * *

Gaara was not impressed... at least, not until several things seemed to happen at once, none of which he had any control over.

First, the sand wrapped around the ninja stopped obeying Gaara, and fell to the floor.

Second, the ninja turned around, his eyes a strange shade of pink with three black tomoe in each. Gaara got the impression that the ninja was staring through him, even as an uncomfortable warmth erupted in his belly. It was a sensation that Gaara hadn't felt in a long time: Shukaku, not just stirring, but disturbed by something, to the point where he was trying to wake up and handle it himself.

Third, the ninja moved back several feet without any visible effort, then leaned down and grasped a lock of Hinata's dark hair.

"Don't feel too bad, Red," the ninja whispered. "You're not the first person I've met that couldn't handle having their bloodline turned off, and their chakra disrupted, both at the same time."

Gaara frowned and lowered his outstretched hand. "How?" he asked simply.

The ninja grinned. "Come on now, take a guess. You can't tell me you're on the same team with these two, and you don't have a clue how I did it?"

"So you're one of them," Gaara said quietly. "A hybrid."

"You've done your homework, I see. Impressive. But I can tell you that knowing what I am isn't going to help you beat me. I've been at this a lot longer than you have... and my bloodline isn't turned off."

"I am curious," Gaara admitted. "You said you turned off my bloodline, and disrupted my chakra. But I am quite sure you can only disrupt chakra that is within arm's reach of you. I am also quite certain that my... bloodline, as you put it, is not something that can simply be flicked on and off like a switch, and certainly not by anyone that has no previous experience with it. So I wonder just how complete your mastery of this skill is, and exactly what you assume my bloodline to be."

"Cocky little brat, aren't you?" the ninja snorted. "But playing in your sandbox won't bring you victory here."

Gaara nodded. "True. I lose control over my sand as it nears you. But there are other ways to defeat one such as you, and none of them require sand or my chakra. Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee that you would survive those techniques, so if you have anything important to say, I suggest you do so now."

"I'll pass."

"Very well." Gaara closed his eyes tightly. "Within me sleeps a demon with power over the sand. While he sleeps, that power is mine. We are bound in this way. But while he sleeps, I learn and grow in power. And when I sleep... my powers are his."

The ninja shook his head. "So I just have to keep you from putting yourself to sleep. Easily done."

"Also true," Gaara agreed. "I admit that the sequence of hand seals to do so is rather time-consuming. Fortunately, that only applies when I have to put myself to sleep. But this is not the case should someone else wish to do so."

The ninja's eyes widened, but before he could do anything, a shout of "Karine no Jutsu (Catnap Technique)!" was heard.

* * *

Akira had little time to react. His first instinct was to kill the blond girl that had put the redhead to sleep, but there was a problem: his eyes told him that she was a clone, and the moment she spotted him, she winked and vanished in a puff of smoke, proving him right.

And by then, the demon was upon him.

For all Gaara's talk of sand... there was none. Only hard, brutal, unforgiving rock. Akira was pounded from all sides at once, and for the first time in his life, he was completely helpless. Perhaps if the attack had started an instant later, he would have been able to repel the rocks with his own chakra. But now there was only the intense, overwhelming pain of his bones breaking and his flesh being torn apart.

"Foolish human," said a deep, rumbling voice. "Shukaku is more than a mere bloodline, more than a mindless demon. Shukaku is a force of nature. Shukaku can command his elements through will alone. Shukaku does NOT tolerate strangers tampering with his vessel. After you have revealed your secrets, what remains of your life will belong to Shukaku."

* * *

Gato's problem had always been his greed. He always wanted what he had no business desiring, and because he could afford to overpower anyone with countless men, he took the eventual defeat of his victims as a sign that he'd been right all along. Any trouble he met along the way was easily evaded by tossing money at it.

Occasionally, he encountered a place like the Land of Waves, where money wasn't enough. The people were poor but strong-willed... at first. He'd only needed to topple the local heroes, and that had been the end of it... until these new ninjas showed up. And as long as he was in town handling that matter, he figured there was no harm in claiming Tsunami as his latest prize. But Gato was picturing a broken woman who had lost both her husband and father, and would soon lose her son.

Tsunami, however, was not broken by her losses, but empowered by them. When she fought, she did so to keep the memory of her loved ones alive. She had been broken for long enough. Yugito had showed her that broken people only stayed broken. Unless someone came along to fix them, or unless they fixed themselves, their lives would never improve. Tsunami was tired of being broken, tired of being stepped on, and tired of just wishing that her life would change for the best. But most of all, she was tired of Gato.

Gato knew none of this, though, so when Tsunami calmly walked out of her house and surrendered, he was ecstatic. He didn't even have to order the men to drag her, since she came after being told the one time. She silently knelt in front of Gato, her head lowered.

Secretly, Gato was glad that Akira hadn't found her yet. He had wanted to look into her eyes and see the submission there. Grinning, he grasped Tsunami's chin and raised her head.

There was no submission in her eyes: there was only his death.

"Raiton: Shuurai!" (Lightning Release: Lightning Strike) Tsunami screamed as she thrust her left hand into Gato's chest. Yugito had warned her many times that it was essential to always have control of any technique that involved lightning. But Tsunami was not interested in control, she was interested in revenge. She was done bottling up all of her pain, and this seemed like a perfect time to release it.

So she did.

By the time she was done, Gato was nothing more than a smoking corpse, and Tsunami had thankfully lost most of the feeling in her left arm (somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice that sounded much like Yugito's reminded her that burning flesh was only good when it wasn't hers, so she should probably take care of that right away).

Gato's men made no move to stop her as she got up and walked back into the house. All they knew was that a harmless woman had just killed their boss, and Akira was taking far too long to come out of the house. They put two and two together, and made a very hasty retreat. Whatever Gato had wanted in the Land of Waves, it was not worth their lives.

* * *

"I don't understand," Hinata whispered, shaking her head. "How is any of this possible?"

"We live in a village of ninja," Sasuke grunted. "The real question isn't how it happened, but how many other times its happened."

The ninja who identified himself as Hyuuga Akira had been surprisingly talkative about his origins, at least, once Shukaku had roughed him up for a few seconds. He said little that Gaara was unaware of from the start, but it was all news to Sasuke and Hinata, and especially to Team 10.

"But if what he says is true," Hinata murmured, "then I... and poor Hanabi-chan, too... we could be descended from-"

"And if you... we are?" Sasuke demanded. "So what? It doesn't mean we have to become him."

"No," Akira agreed weakly from where he lay bound on the floor, "it just improves the odds of it, that's all. But I doubt you have much to worry about, little cousin. By the time I was your age, I had already made up my mind to abandon Konoha. Did you know... some parents were so ashamed of us, there is no record of certain hybrids ever being born? They made it so much easier for us to disappear. Maybe they even wanted that from the start."

"But this doesn't make any sense," Hinata insisted. "My clan would never allow the Byakugan to exist outside of their control, so why would they help you that way?"

Akira grinned at her. "Haven't you ever wondered why your people are so fanatical about keeping it in the family? It's because there was a time that they lost it to the Uchiha. OUR time. Many of us were taken in by the Uchiha. We couldn't trust them, either, but at least they bothered to train us up first. Granted, in most cases it was only so they could kill us and gain the Mangekyou, but sometimes we got lucky or smart and killed them first."

"So this fate is actually the best you could hope for," Sasuke concluded with a frown.

"It really was," Akira muttered, closing his eyes. "I have the blood of many Hyuuga and Uchiha on my hands, and I do not regret that. I lived for myself, and I was content. But I am glad to know that all Hyuuga are not the proud, judgmental people that abandoned me years ago. People who walk in the sun... and hide their dirty little secrets in the shadows. Don't let them force you to grow up in the dark the way I did, little cousin. Fight for the right to exist, to walk in the sun with your head held high."

Hinata stared at him in surprise. "But you were going to kill us..."

"Yes. And you should extend the same mercy to any older hybrid you meet. No matter how proud they might walk or talk, they have lived lives full of pain and suffering, and the best you can offer them is a quick death."

"I refuse to believe that. There had to be a better way!"

Akira shook his head. "It's a good thing I'm going to die soon, anyway. I don't think you have any idea how cruel that kind of mercy can be. Forcing someone to continue living, when they have no reason to do so... it's torture. I hope you never know that pain."

* * *

_Fire Country - Southern Border - April_

Kurenai was growing more and more curious about the mark that Son Gohan had placed on her neck. From what she could (or couldn't) see, it was invisible. She didn't get any odd looks in the street, and no amount of mirrors had helped her locate the mark. But the Sandaime had seen it immediately, from a distance, no less. So it was very likely that only other monkey summoners could see the mark, but the Hokage and Asuma were the only ones she had regular contact with.

Just recently, she had begun to hear Gohan's voice as she woke up in the mornings. Generally, he would only call her name, possibly to get her attention, and then she would envision herself in a certain place. She had never been there, of that she was certain, but it was accompanied by such a strong urge to just... BE there that she knew Gohan was trying to instruct her. He didn't seem the type to use words if he could avoid it, so this method of communicating didn't surprise her at all.

She had been concerned that people would grow suspicious, but it never happened. The Sandaime immediately gave her permission to leave on a mission with an undetermined return date. Even her genin team had not complained about being left on their own (this was especially worrying in Kiba's case). Sakura had understandably been disappointed that they would have to postpone her genjutsu training, but she had Kiba to keep her occupied. Shino hadn't seemed to care one way or the other, and Kiba had just told her to get back before the chuunin exams. She was positive from the looks he'd been giving her lately that he'd noticed a change in her scent, but he never said anything about it.

All of it was very strange. Kurenai wondered, not for the first time, if Gohan's mark somehow surrounded her with a sphere of influence. People just seemed to get out of her way where Gohan's directives were concerned, and normally this would not be the case. Perhaps Gohan even knew more about genjutsu than she did. But so long as he wasn't hurting anyone, she would keep quiet about it.

The mission became clearer the further she got from Konoha. She would constantly get this... feeling that she was headed in the right or wrong direction, and made adjustments accordingly. By now, Gohan had stopped talking entirely, but she knew he was aware of her progress.

Kurenai reached her destination relatively quickly: one day, the calm, slowly flowing river from her dreams was just in front of her, complete with the small, pale rocks that lined the bank. No instructions followed after several minutes, so she sat down and had a snack of dango that Anko had no doubt snuck into her pack (she had been worried that Kurenai wasn't eating enough lately, and she had always mourned the fact that Kurenai ate dango sparingly, unlike Anko herself).

Curiously, Kurenai had no idea that, aside from Anko, there had been two other Leaf-nin who especially enjoyed dango. One was Tenten, who, oddly enough, was a good friend of Anko's, and preferred sesame dango.

The other, however, was Uchiha Itachi, and it can be safely assumed that he did not appear just over Kurenai's left shoulder because he was interested in sharing her snack.

* * *

_Land of Waves - April_

Haku woke up to a very strange sight: Yugito had three eyes, all of them golden and glowing with an unearthly light.

"I'm sorry you had to wait so long, Haku," she apologized quietly. "But... this isn't something I let anyone know about. I'm sure you can respect that."

"I was... dead," he said slowly. "And now... I'm not."

"That's right." Yugito grabbed his arm and pulled him to a sitting position on the grass. "I figured you'd be more comfortable in your own body, so I had to wait until the others had your funeral."

Haku took a moment to process that. "You stole my body?"

"No, they gave it to me," Yugito replied calmly. "I suggested they put it in the river, they did, and I had some clones waiting at the other end."

"You... sound as if you've done this before."

"Not this, exactly... but something similar, once... for someone I love."

There was something odd in the way she said it, but Haku was understandably preoccupied. "Why did you do this for me?"

"No one else could, Haku. That was reason enough. I'll help you face Ino... but not yet. She's in a dark place right now, even if she won't admit it. When she's ready, you'll see her. In the meantime, we've got to turn you into a Cloud-nin."

Haku blinked uncertainly. "Why do we have to do that?"

"Because it'll look suspicious if we enter the chuunin exams as Cloud-nin and you only know those Mist jutsu."

"Wait... why are we-"

"There's someone I need to find," Yugito answered. "He'll be there. But we'll talk about that later. Right now, we need to start your history lesson. Have you ever heard of a demon vessel?"

There was a long pause, and then Haku stood up. "I seem to remember you said you were a shinigami."

"I'm both. Does that really change anything?"

"No," he said quietly. "But why are you telling me now?"

"Because you need to understand why some people will hate me, and that I have some secrets I'm not ready to share with anyone but the demon who saved my life. You have to accept that if you're going to be my friend."

"Is that what we are?" Haku asked. "Friends? You don't even know me."

Yugito smiled at him. "I know you have a noble heart. We've got a little time to find out more about each other. Which reminds me, I have to tell you about the other member of our team. We need three for the exams, you know."

"It's someone else you saved?" Haku guessed.

"That's right. Someone very close to my heart. You remind me of him, a little. I'll call him so we can get started."

Haku watched curiously as Yugito's third eye, high on her forehead, opened and shut briefly. Then she reached down to collect her Cloud headband, and by the time she lifted it to her head, all traces of the third eye had vanished. Before Haku could ask how she'd done it, he became aware of a shadow on the ground that did not belong to either of them.

"Can we leave now, Yugito-chan?" asked a rough voice in what was almost a growl. "Yori doesn't like the air here; it's too wet."

Yugito smiled warmly. "Yes, Kyojuu-kun, we're leaving now. But I want you to meet my new friend. Haku, this is Kyojuu and Yorishiro."

Haku couldn't help it, he stared for several seconds. Kyojuu was a monster of a boy in every sense of the word. He had a huge amount of thick, black hair framing his tanned, scowling face, and even with the brown coat he was wearing, Haku could see that everything about his body was massive. Curiously, the only thing that seemed out of place on him was the little white dog hanging on his shoulder.

Kyojuu gave Haku a long, considering look before nodding briefly. "He's okay. So what about that Gaara guy you mentioned before?"

Yugito sighed. "Well, he's not really a team player, or at least he says he isn't. But he was nice enough to tell me where I could find Naruto. He's also going to talk to the Hokage for me, so we won't have many problems there. But that's only after he and Sasuke finish building Tazuna's bridge."

Haku was eyeing Yorishiro, who was eyeing him right back, a little suspiciously. Without warning, the little dog suddenly jumped on him and began licking his face eagerly.

"Oh, sorry!" Yugito cried, laughing as she grabbed the little dog and cuddled it in her arms. "Yori gets that way sometimes, she's a licker. Aren't you, girl?" She giggled as Yorishiro leaped up and licked at her lips frantically.

"Uh, that's okay," Haku murmured. "I, um... like dogs."

"Smart man," Kyojuu grunted, slapping him across the back nearly hard enough to knock Haku down. "Okay, let's get going. We need to get far away if we're gonna be tossing around lightning all day. Yugito-chan, you checked out the next island over?"

"Eh, I ran past it. Was being chased at the time," Yugito corrected, laughing weakly. "But from what I saw, it's deserted. I think."

Kyojuu grunted. "In that case, you'd both better hop on my back. If we won't be able to stay there, I wanna find out fast."

"Your back?" Haku asked as Yugito backed away and Kyojuu knelt on the ground. "What do you-"

But Kyojuu didn't hear him, and probably couldn't have answered, anyway, since he was now a huge white dog with five tails.

"He's much faster this way," Yugito explained as she hauled herself onto the dog's back. "Don't worry, he doesn't bite. Yori, either."

Haku kept his comments to himself as he climbed on, although he nearly fell off when Yugito tossed Yorishiro at him.

"You hold her. She needs to get used to your scent, anyway."

Yorishiro squirmed in his arms, trying to get at his face, and once she'd licked him for a solid minute, settled down and went to sleep.

Haku leaned forward and held the little dog tightly as the bigger dog began to move. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like his second life was getting a great deal weirder than it probably should've been. But, if nothing else, he definitely wouldn't be bored.

**End of Chapter 20.**

* * *

Endnotes:

kyojuu: large animal

yorishiro: object representative of a divine spirit; object to which a spirit is drawn or summoned

I'm still not totally clear on how Kankurou disguises Karasu. Supposedly he uses the Replacement jutsu to trade places with him at certain times, and for a while I assumed that he just used henges to make Karasu look like other people (himself, chuunin examiners). But to my knowledge, henges puff into smoke when they end, where Kankurou's illusions (at least, in the anime) crack and crumble like clay, revealing the true form of Karasu underneath. In that respect, it works more like Gaara's armor. So the only thing I can figure is that Kankurou's replicas are some kind of dirt material (maybe even sand?) molded into a temporary outer shell, and he must be able to create them very quickly, since there was almost no time for him to create a chuunin examiner. It is possible that upon entering the room where the chuunin hopefuls were gathered, he made a lucky guess that all the other examiners would be dressed like the first two, but even there he would've only had a matter of minutes to somehow create a replica, and what's more, he had to do it all while Karasu was still wrapped up. In other words, Kankurou must be a LOT more talented than he gets credit for.

The three jutsu that were supposedly the only ones Kankurou knew: Kawarimi no Jutsu (Replacement/Substitution Technique), Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique), and Kugutsu no Jutsu (Puppet Technique). Note that Kankurou uses all three in the spar, even if it's not obvious when he does.

I think it's likely that someone other then Gaara (in Suna) is able to manipulate sand to some degree, although Gaara may have more control than anyone else. Certainly a past Kazekage was able to do it, so it's only fair to assume that the current Kazekage might have some knowledge of how to do it, especially if (and I'm not sure about this part) he was the one who trained Gaara. And I said all that to say that the name of Kankurou's new jutsu is another name for Shukaku, although there is nothing truly demonic about it.

The fun fact about Anko, Tenten, and Itachi all liking dango is true; at least, it's listed as their most preferred food. And since I scrapped the idea of them all meeting secretly in the woods to trade recipes and tell mama jokes, this is the next best thing. Sorta.

Naruto's jutsu:

**Kaze no Keshin (Incarnation of Wind):**

The user calls upon a wind spirit to boost the power of wind jutsu.

**Tsume no Kyuubi (Claw of the Nine Tails):**

A superheated, claw-shaped blast of wind seizes an opponent, crushing and burning them simultaneously.

Kankurou's jutsu:

**Suna no Keshin (Incarnation of Sand):**

Kankurou's "second puppet," which does indeed use sand, although how exactly will remain hidden, for now...

Yugito's jutsu:

**Karine no Jutsu (Catnap Technique):**

Simply put, Yugito suppresses a less powerful person's will with a strong suggestion to fall asleep, and she can also use it on herself. How long the target remains asleep depends on how exhausted the body is, although the most practical applications (in battle) would result in most people waking up in a matter of minutes, especially if they regain strength during their nap.

Gaara's jutsu:

**Doton: Shakujin (Earth Release: Image of A God in Stone):**

Shukaku manifested in the form of rock instead of sand.

Tsunami's jutsu:

**Raiton: Shuurai (Lightning Release: Lightning Strike):**

A basic Cloud technique that relies on converting chakra into electricity, adding a second element of danger to what would otherwise be pure taijutsu.


	21. Akatsuki's Blue Flower

Notes: It has recently come to my attention that there are even more "revelations" I don't care for in the Naruto manga (especially concerning Akatsuki). Only this time there are so many that I don't even care to list them all. So I'll just say that, as far as this fanfic is concerned, 1) Tobi is not Madara (nor does he think he is), 2) The Leader actually IS the leader, 3) the Yondaime Hokage's given name, while not common knowledge, is Arashi.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 21: Akatsuki's Blue Flower**

_Fire Country - April_

Kurenai was currently in a very awkward position, in every sense of the word. Less than ten feet away, Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame were calmly eating their lunch and discussing what they would do with her. She had no say in the matter, what with being tied to a tree and all.

And perhaps if they had only tied her to a tree, there would have been some hope of escape.

But Kisame had come up with the brilliant idea of tying her to his wrapped sword, and THEN the tree, with Samehada jammed into the ground between Kurenai and the tree. This basically meant three things: 1) any major movement that Kurenai made was instantly rewarded with a sharp, slicing pain, 2) the sword was heavy enough and so firmly planted that she couldn't have gotten far even if she did manage to free herself from the tree, and 3) the sword was eating her chakra. Kisame had bragged about this, and then he'd proved it, not that it had been difficult for him. Kurenai had had her hands full with just Itachi. But when his partner had stepped out of the woodwork, she'd promptly given up. On her best day, Itachi would still kill her without breaking a sweat. She didn't want to know what he could do with help.

Still, there was one very puzzling aspect of this encounter. When he'd first spotted her, Kisame had given her a very odd look. This wouldn't have mattered much normally... except that the Sandaime Hokage had given her the exact same look when he'd first seen Son Gohan's mark on her neck. And the more she thought about it, the more Kurenai became convinced that her meeting Itachi and Kisame here was no accident.

But why would Gohan send her straight into an encounter with these two if he valued her ability to gather information for him? They would likely just kill her... although, she had to admit that they hadn't yet. Which was a little strange, all things considered.

It was almost as if they WEREN'T going to kill her.

Despite how out of place the idea sounded, it wouldn't go away. Kisame, for example, had seemed more surprised about her mark, and less surprised about having a visitor. Itachi had just been annoyed that someone had managed to find them, or that was the impression she'd gotten.

"I'm telling you, we need her, at least for a little while," Kisame was saying.

"Yet this is the third time you've failed to explain why, Kisame," Itachi insisted.

The larger man glanced over his shoulder at her before turning back to his partner. "Because... she's got Gohan's mark. And you remember what happened the last time we killed a guy who had that."

Maybe Kurenai was imagining it, but it seemed as if Itachi flinched.

"So you suggest that we bring her along?" the Uchiha asked, frowning at the very thought.

Kisame nodded. "We almost have to. If we leave her tied up here, someone else could kill her. If we let her go, she'll tell somebody she saw us. It'll be hard enough sneaking in as it is."

Kurenai swallowed a gasp. She had hoped that the pair were just passing through. But if they were headed for Konoha, then there was very little hope of anyone stopping them. Even Kakashi would have a tough time with Itachi, and Kisame looked like he could run over just about anyone with little trouble.

Itachi and Kisame finally reached a decision, though. Kisame carefully untied her, for which Kurenai was instantly grateful (although she was certain that his blue hands brushed her body a bit more than was absolutely necessary).

"Well, there's good news and bad news, sweetheart," Kisame told her, grinning all the while. "The good news is you get to travel with two handsome devils. The bad news is that you can't exactly do it in those clothes."

Amazingly, they didn't try to strip her right there, although what they eventually had her do was nearly as bad, in Kurenai's mind. She could appreciate their position, but that didn't make it any easier for her.

Once they neared a town, Itachi instructed her to steal a whole new wardrobe. Of course, he specified that she HAD to steal it; no leaving any money behind for the vendors to find later. Kisame added the stipulation that every outfit had to show some skin, and Kurenai only complied because Itachi gave her a look that promised pain if she didn't go along with it. That was the only time that Itachi had shown any interest in what she was or was not wearing, though, so he probably did it only to ensure that she was still afraid of them.

It was then decided that she had to dye her hair. Kisame picked blue, and Itachi reluctantly agreed. Kurenai's opinion was thoroughly ignored.

In the end, Kurenai was barely recognizable as herself, which was what they'd been going for all along. Kisame gave her an appreciative whistle that made her want to kill him even more, and Itachi just said, "Hn." But since this meant a number of things in Itachi-speak, including, "I'm bored," "Fuck off, Kisame," and "This sake tastes like fresh piss," Kurenai had no idea what he really thought.

The final touch was Itachi's cloak, which was black with red clouds on it. After that, the pair had looked at each other and nodded. And then Itachi had said the words that would leave Kurenai wishing they had killed her.

"Welcome to Akatsuki, Kurenai-san."

* * *

_Konoha - Dango Ditch – April_

Hanabi was currently on her first mission. The Sandaime had charged her with testing out her natural power of innocent persuasion.

In other words, he wanted her to give someone a mouth full of cavities just by looking at them.

This was actually a lot harder than Hanabi had expected. For one thing, the Hyuuga didn't do cute, or at least they never got a chance to practice it. About the only person Hanabi had ever tried it on was Hinata, and she was so easy that it barely counted. Everyone else was too wary of the Hyuuga in general (or Hanabi in particular) to be swayed by a cutesy act.

A further complication was that Hanabi didn't want to approach just anyone. She wanted a challenge, someone who was not so easily manipulated by a young face. After all, if it were too easy, she would never learn and improve. And the Hokage was counting on her. She would not allow herself to fail.

That really only left one option: she would have to challenge a more experienced sleeper. But because she was a new recruit, the Sandaime had only been willing to give her one name: Hatake Anko.

Hanabi was surprised for about a minute. She'd heard stories about Anko long before she'd met the woman, as most people had. Hanabi's first impression had been that Anko was crazy, stupid, or both. Now she knew better. Anko had taken her sleeper routine to another level entirely. She could be a complete nutbag, a sadistic temptress... or even a loving mother. Anko became whatever she needed to be at the time. More than that, these were not mere acts: all of her roles were truly a part of who she was; each was a piece of Hatake Anko. She was just that good.

And Hanabi probably didn't stand a chance... but she was still going to try. She knew Anko, or at least parts of her, and told herself that she could handle anything the woman might throw at her. Besides, it wasn't as if Anko would actually hurt her. She'd probably just laugh and tease Hanabi about this for the rest of her life.

So Hanabi tracked Anko down to one of her usual hangouts: the Dango Ditch, the dango lover's answer to Ichiraku Ramen. For a time, they had actually been across the street from each other, but the Ditch attracted a slightly rougher crowd and served a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, which had led to some drunken clashes over which food was better. In the end, the Ditch had packed up and moved, ironically, because Ichiraku's regulars, while they had been smaller in number, had been sober and more aware of what they were doing in a fight.

Of course, there was no way that Hanabi could actually go inside, so she had to wait for Anko to come out.

She probably should've brought a book.

When Anko finally did emerge three hours later, Hanabi was in no mood to be cute. Actually, she was very much irritated, and had she known anything about killing intent, she could've emptied the Ditch in a few seconds.

There was some good news, though: Anko had clearly been drinking, and she was alone. This would lower her defenses, and Hanabi didn't want anyone to actually see this.

Taking a deep breath, Hanabi ran up to Anko and "bumped" into her. Really, she kind of charged, and that Anko didn't manage to evade the collision was a sign of just how drunk she was.

"Hey, who the hell?" Anko grunted, squinting down at Hanabi. She blinked a few times before a glint of recognition entered her eyes. "Heeeeeeey, 'Nabi-chan!" Anko cried loudly, scooping Hanabi up and spinning her around a few times in a very sorry attempt at what might have been ballroom dancing.

"Anko-san," Hanabi gasped, wincing as Anko breathed on her face, "you've been drinking."

"What?! Who told you! It's a damn LIE!"

"I can smell it on your breath."

"Oh. Well, it was jussssst a little!" Anko insisted. "But HEY! What are you doing out here so late? Lil' thing like you should be home in bed at this time of-"

"Anko-san," Hanabi interrupted with a frustrated scowl, "it's noon."

"Really? Then I'm early." Anko put Hanabi down and turned around, presumably to head right back into the Ditch.

Hanabi latched onto Anko's legs. "NO! You can't!"

"Sssssure I can!" Anko slurred, grinning down at her. "Sssee, all I have to do is open this door right here, and-"

"You can't because you have to take me home! I'm..." Hanabi nearly gagged as she forced the words out. "I'm... too little..."

"AWWW!!!" Anko snatched Hanabi up again, rubbing her cheek affectionately against the girl's. "Don't you worry, 'Nabi-chan! I'll get you home safe and sound!"

"Couldn't we go to your place instead?" Hanabi asked, making a fair attempt at widening her eyes adorably. "I always liked your couch better than the one at home." Really, Hanabi had only preferred Anko's couch when Gaara had sat there overnight, while everyone without insomnia slept. But since he'd moved out, it was just furniture, although Hanabi would still prefer it, based on the fact that it was well outside the Hyuuga compound.

Anko cackled loudly. "Ah, if only you knew how I broke that couch in! Actually, maybe I should just show you. So what do you think, 'Nabi-chan? Ready to become a woman, hmm?"

Of all the possible scenarios that Hanabi had planned for, this was not one of them. And it was a bit hard to think of anything except running with Anko leering at her. While Hanabi was sure that she was entirely too young for Anko's tastes, there was a whole list of things that Anko could still do, without touching her, that would scar any girl for life. After all, Morino Ibiki was one of Anko's drinking buddies, and he prided himself on torturing people just as severely mentally as he had been physically.

It never came to that, thankfully. Hanabi was saved by the one person she had never expected to come to her rescue (willingly, anyway).

"So there you are, gaki," Sasuke grunted with his usual scowl. "What are you doing in a place like this? I promised Hinata that I'd teach you ninjutsu, and I find you trying to get drunk with Anko?"

"Well, you were late," Hanabi snapped, prying herself out of Anko's arms and quickly latching onto Sasuke's wrist. "That's hardly a good quality in a husband. Maybe I should make sure Hinata knows that."

Sasuke glared down at her hand, which was gripping his wrist hard enough to leave a mark. "Come on, then. I've wasted enough time looking for you."

Hanabi followed him without protest, and the moment they ducked into a nearby alley and out of Anko's sight, she hugged Sasuke fiercely... but briefly.

"That never happened," they both said at once.

"I will consider this your wedding present," Hanabi said.

Sasuke stared at her. "What?"

Hanabi glared at him. "If our mother had lived, you would have been incredibly rude to marry her daughter without first winning her approval with a gift. But since she is dead, then I am the female relative that you should've impressed prior to the wedding. So I will graciously consider this act your belated wedding gift to me."

"No, you owe me," Sasuke decided at once. "You weren't at the ceremony. We didn't even ask you to be a witness. And you hated me long before I had an interest in your sister, so your approval was never a factor, as I always assumed I'd never get it. If it's just a case of being rude, I'd rather be that than give you anything."

Had she been anyone else, Hanabi might've been very much offended. But she had accepted that Sasuke was a jerk around everyone except Hinata, and he especially hated Hanabi... which was fine with her, so long as he kept Hinata happy. Anyway, if Hinata's getting married had depended on Hanabi's approval of her suitor, they'd probably both die old and unwed.

"Fine," Hanabi spat. "You should train with your swords more. Shisui-san left them especially to help you deal with Itachi."

The color drained out of Sasuke's face, but Hanabi could not be certain which Uchiha's name had alarmed him more. It didn't matter, though, and it certainly didn't change what Hanabi said next.

"Let's get one thing straight, Uchiha: I don't like you. I like your brother even less. But for now, at least, you are my brother. And I won't let you or him infect this family with whatever deathwish you two have. We've got enough problems as it is. So do what you need to do to protect my sister and take care of Itachi. If you don't, I'll kill you myself and spit on your grave every day for the rest of my life."

Slowly, the color returned to Sasuke's face, and he looked away, angrily stuffing his hands into his pockets as he turned and began to walk off.

Hanabi was just about to go in the opposite direction when he called her.

"Oi, gaki. Where do you think you're going? I promised my wife I'd teach you, so don't think you're getting out of it that easy."

Her failure with Anko was instantly forgotten as Hanabi decided that Sasuke would be her new target. For one thing, she already knew how to manipulate him, and for another, watching him squirm would be fun. Smirking, she ran to catch up with Sasuke and extended her hand. "Well?"

Sasuke glanced at her hand as if it were somehow poisonous. "What?"

Hanabi grinned up at him. "You have to hold my hand while we walk."

Sasuke stopped. "WHAT?" he demanded.

"I'm little," Hanabi informed him, surprised at how much easier the word came out this time, "and you're responsible for me while I'm with you. So you have to hold my hand while we walk. You don't mind, do you, onii-chan?"

The Uchiha boy looked as if he were having trouble keeping his breakfast down for several seconds. "Today," he said firmly, seizing her hand reluctantly. "Tomorrow, I'm getting you a leash, gaki."

As she was not sure the Sandaime would consider this a success, Hanabi was already making plans to further manipulate Sasuke as they headed towards the Uchiha compound. Perhaps if she dragged Sasuke into the Hokage's office on the way back...

* * *

Ino had had her share of problems before. But all of her current ones seemed to overlap into one very big problem.

First and foremost, she had been captured and raped. There really was no way to sugarcoat that, and Ino didn't want to. She had managed to minimize and delay a great deal of the mental anguish, but it was still there, in the back of her mind, and the closer they got to Konoha, the more Ino felt her mental shields cracking. Soon, they would crumble entirely, and when that happened... well, at least she would be home then, surrounded by people who loved her. She would need them all.

Next, Haku was dead. Ino hadn't been with him at the time, and while that upset her, she was more bothered by the fact that Haku had rejected her invitation to come to Konoha. That meant that if he had lived, he would've preferred to wander aimlessly, or take his own life. Could being with her really have seemed so bad to him, or did he still feel unworthy of such an offer?

Then there was Sasuke, and the person he had become under Gaara's command. Now that her first time was no longer an issue, Ino could readily admit that she had been saving herself for Sasuke. She had never been so cocky as to believe that she could keep him once she had him, but at the very least, she'd wanted the one time to look back on fondly. Now, though, Ino doubted she would ever choose to have sex, and even if she did, it certainly wouldn't be with Sasuke. She could barely stand to look at him without thinking of the casual way he had talked about killing Haku for no good reason. A very small part of her wondered if Sasuke had always been this way, if Gaara had really changed him at all, and if she'd just never noticed that a cute boy like Sasuke actually had no heart.

And Shikamaru... Ino had no idea what she was going to do with him. He had been keeping his distance, yet he always remained in sight, as if to constantly remind her that he was there for her. When she did admit to needing help, he was the first to offer. But the more he did this, the more attractive Ino found him... and that only made her think about sex, something she wanted no part of. She had no doubt that Shikamaru would never hurt her that way, but her mind was not so quick to accept anything she had taken for granted before. At this point, the only males she could tolerate being around were Chouji, who was too childlike to be a threat, and Asuma, who would have to do until she was reunited with her father.

Ino's newest problem, however, was her inability to get a full night's sleep. This was not, however, due to nightmares or anything of the sort. Sometimes she would sleep for anywhere from few minutes to an hour, but then her eyes would snap open, and largely remain that way until morning. She knew that the lack of nightmares was due only to her mental shields still holding, but the thought of them failing soon only worried her more.

The traveling was made more difficult by Ino's refusal to go anywhere near Sasuke or Gaara. Asuma and Chouji stayed on either side of her, while Gaara and Sasuke walked several feet ahead of them, and Hinata and Shikamaru brought up the rear. Oddly enough, this formation did not lend itself to conversation... but only in Ino's case. Gaara and Sasuke seemed to have plenty to discuss, and though Shikamaru wasn't saying much these days, Ino had noticed that she was hearing Hinata's voice a lot more often than she ever had before. If she hadn't been so sure that Hinata was in love with Sasuke, Ino might've been jealous.

Ino was so distracted that she was actually surprised to look up one day and notice that they were approaching the large, green gates of Konoha. She was filled with a great sense of relief at the sight... that is, until she noticed her father, Sakura, Kiba, and Akamaru waiting on the other side.

Nothing about this should've alarmed or surprised her. Of course her father would be among the first to welcome her home. He most likely would've cleared his schedule to do that even if the mission had gone perfectly. Sakura and Ino had rediscovered their former closeness, and calling the pink-haired girl her best friend was no long an exaggeration. As for Kiba, Ino largely thought of him and Akamaru both as Sakura's puppies now, so she was even glad to see them (it wasn't as if Sakura went many places without them, anyway).

Still... perhaps it was too great a reminder of what the coming days held in store for her. Whatever the reason, only a few seconds after she saw the group waiting for her, Ino's mental shields collapsed. The world became a blur of colors after that, and Ino was only certain that she fell at one point, and that she could see a lot of pink at another.

Several days had passed by the time that Ino could finally make sense of anything again, and what she found was not really surprising. She was in the hospital, and Sakura was faithfully standing guard over her, with only Akamaru to keep her company. All men had been barred from the hospital room. Ino thought that a little extreme, especially since her father had to be going nuts by then, so she sent him mushy little motes through Sakura: that she was glad to be home, that she'd missed him terribly, that she couldn't wait to be back in her own room. Sometimes, but not often enough, she even meant them.

* * *

_Land of Waves - April_

Life was slowly but surely improving for the people of the Land of Waves. Gaara's squad hadn't realized it at the time, but their visit had left the small island nation with some very valuable keepsakes.

With some instruction from the builders who had worked for Tazuna, Gaara and Sasuke had completed the bridge almost entirely by themselves. Cement was a bit harder to manipulate with chakra than sand or rock, but Gaara had managed, and Sasuke had little trouble helping it dry and harden. Hinata had kept a constant eye out for any weak spots in the construction.

Tsunami had asked that Gaara be the one to name the bridge in the end, and he had immediately given her his answer.

Only Sasuke and Hinata understood his meaning. The other townspeople had demanded to know why their bridge was to be named after a fishcake. But Gaara remained firm and answered no questions, and Tsunami was grateful enough that she didn't ask any.

But despite or even because of its name, the bridge became famous. Thanks to the Great Naruto Bridge, word spread throughout the Fire Country of how Gaara's squad had saved the Land of Waves. The story behind the bridge's name was often disputed, and many people just assumed that the builders had been ramen lovers. Even the local children picked up on that belief, and it became a common dare to cling to the underside of the bridge long enough to draw a fishcake on the bottom. Not surprisingly, Inari had been the first.

Yugito had vanished soon after Gaara's squad departed, but she left Tsunami a very tasty ramen recipe. Tsunami had sold it to a trio of local cooks, her only condition being that they kept the name that Yugito had insisted on. A month later, Uzumaki Ramen had become the most profitable restaurant for miles around. Tsunami was still considered its founder, and received large payments every month despite her protests.

Tsunami truly didn't have much use for the money. She made a few improvements around the house, bought Inari a cat (dogs were loyal, but cats were smarter, he claimed), and put the rest away for emergencies. Had she been younger or just a little more hopeful, she might have paid for a specialist to look at her arm, which she had never regained full use of. But she did not resent Yugito for teaching her, and looked at her battle scars occasionally, to remind herself that Kaiza would be proud. He'd always talked about protecting important things with both arms, but it had only cost her one to avenge him, and she was proud of that.

Still, it made everyday tasks like carrying the groceries home far trickier, something which Tsunami always managed to forget until after Inari had gone out to play, and she was left facing a fairly long walk. But she had her pride, and she made herself promise that she'd never ask for help doing it... unless it rained.

Sometimes, though, help came along without being asked. Usually, it was someone who had known her father. This latest time, it was someone who had known Sasuke. That much was clear from the pair's red and black eyes, which they had shown her as proof of their good intentions.

Tsunami couldn't help thinking that they were nice, but odd. The big one stumbled over his words from time to time, and his smaller companion thought it great fun to dart between his legs unexpectedly. He had the patience of a saint, though, and never once lost his temper.

The strangers had been very interested in the real story behind the bridge, and the little one had insisted on eating at Uzumaki Ramen before they parted ways. Tsunami always ate for free there, although she had never been more thankful of that: the big one ate only a bowl of miso ramen, but the little one put away nearly seven bowls of the seafood special before her companion dragged her out.

The truly peculiar thing about them, though, was their eyes. At least, the big one's eyes, anyway. Tsunami distinctly remembered staring into them for a long moment, and yet, when she waved goodbye to them, she noticed, for the first and only time, that he was wearing a mask. Yet she had no recollection of him ever removing it or putting it on in the first place. Even stranger, she could not recall his name, or why his little companion's hair had so many different colors in it. All she could say with certainty was that they had helped her carry her groceries, then taken her to lunch, and that, overall, it had been a rather nice way to spend an afternoon.

Inari later confirmed that he had seen them at the bridge later that same day. The little one had colored a total of thirty-seven fishcakes on the side of the bridge before she fell off, and Inari had carved her name near them so no one would forget her. He seemed confused about whether or not she had kissed him afterwards, but he was positive that her name was Hami, and that her breath smelled very strongly of fishcakes.

* * *

_Suna – Training Area - April_

Temari hated to admit it, but she was getting used to being second best. First, Gaara had outshined her, and then it was Naruto. But now that Kankurou had obviously stepped up his game, she was not going to quitely accept third place among them.

It was just so HARD trying to pass either of them, though.

She had no talent for ninja puppetry, so beating Kankurou at his own game was out of the question. Unfortunately, that left Naruto, and while they were both well-versed in wind jutsu, Temari wasn't overflowing with chakra, demonic or otherwise. Aside from that, she was having a harder time mastering her own wind spirit.

But it was entirely her fault, according to Kamatari. He had been somewhat against their partnership from the start: he didn't much care for females of any sort (he couldn't stand Meg for more than a minute at time), and had only agreed because she was the Kazekage's oldest child. Even then, he had been a strict taskmaster: for the first month, Temari had outright hated him. But every time she complained, Kamatari would immediately call her "little girl" and say she wasn't ready for his training.

Despite the setbacks, they had made much progress together. In order to summon a wind spirit, a ninja first had to perform their weasel's signature attack perfectly, which would earn their summon's respect and permission. But learning an animal's attack was difficult enough for a normal human. It had taken Naruto half a year to copy Meg's Tenbatsutekimen (it was a lot faster than anyone had first thought, and Meg hadn't declared it a success until he could do it "with plenty of style and flare").

Temari, on the other hand, had been required to produce a wind jutsu that could rival Kamatari's most powerful attack: Kirikiri Mai (Quick Beheading Dance), which was apparently one of the most powerful wind jutsu in existence. Even worse, Kamatari had refused to give her any hints.

It had taken Temari an entire year to figure out that, even using everything she had, she couldn't hope to match Kamatari's power. After all, there was little point to a summoner summoning a creature less powerful than them. And that, as it turned out, was the answer: to invent a jutsu that didn't use all of her power, yet still managed to reflect all of his. Even that had been incredibly difficult: it had been a matter of creating a cyclone around her body, infused with and maintained entirely by her chakra, in order to swing Kamatari's attack around her and send it back at him with nearly twice the force. But if she wasn't in precisely the right position, or if the attack managed to overpower her own winds at any given moment, her jutsu would fail.

But, finally, she had performed the Gufuu no Jutsu (Hurricane Technique) correctly enough times that Kamatari was satisfied, and he had given her his permission, if a little reluctantly. Temari had just assumed that he was being difficult again, but now she understood his hesitance.

The wind spirits were nothing like the weasels. They literally were the wind in somewhat humanoid form. If they had concepts of loyalty or allies, those were loose at best. They could be befriended, rarely, but never tamed or controlled. Many a foolish ninja had been destroyed by a wind spirit he had tried to overpower or just hadn't shown enough respect to. The wind spirits were proud, moody creatures, and they were ruthless when upset.

As was his way, Naruto had won over his wind spirit with persistence. It came eagerly when he called, and enjoyed battle even more than he did. Sometimes, it even assumed a visible form so they could train together, both of which were unheard of. Naruto had taken to fondly calling it Arashi.

Temari's wind spirit was especially mischievous. It delighted in hiding her fan, hurling sand at her back, and stealing all of her hair ties while she slept so that she had nothing to restrain her hair with hair in the morning. Kamatari claimed it had to be another silly female, a comment which had gotten his Sand headband stolen and stashed in Kankurou's underwear drawer. But the few times Temari had gotten her wind spirit to cooperate, she had never felt more powerful.

Yet, it just wasn't enough. Temari could still only use her wind spirit to boost her wind jutsu. Naruto could instruct Arashi to fight on its own while he engaged another enemy. Kankurou had come so far that he could control multiple puppets at once, all while still fighting himself (and she was still amazed he even remembered how).

It seemed like all of her brothers had surpassed her. But Temari took some pride in knowing that they had only managed it because she had managed them, in her own way. True, Naruto was the only one who clung to her still, but Gaara and Kankurou would be different, much darker people without her influence. She was the only person who could really take credit for raising them: it had been her duty, and after Naruto, her pleasure. Maybe she would be stronger, if she hadn't spent that extra time mothering them, but someone had to, and Temari didn't regret her choice. She remembered the cautious little boy that Naruto had been upon his arrival, and if left alone, he would have become another Gaara, fueled by the hatred that he'd recieved from others.

It was a sobering thought, one that sent Temari running to find Naruto. When she finally did, she did not pause to consider that he and Arashi were sparring at the moment. All that mattered was getting to Naruto, throwing her arms around his neck, and holding him tightly.

Much to her relief, Naruto did not ask what she was thinking, or yell at her for interrupting. He merely dismissed Arashi with a glance, then returned Temari's embrace, welcoming the familiar pressure of her chin resting on his head.

They could have stood there, holding each other, for just a few seconds or several hours, and neither would've noticed the difference. But, as with most things considered good and pure, this had to end.

Naruto was the first to notice Kin, mostly because she was poking him insistently. "What?"

"Mind if I cut in?" Kin asked in a way that was more of a demand.

"If you have to," Naruto sighed, "but it's gonna be weird to watch my girlfriend hug my sister."

Kin scowled and punched his arm. "Don't be stupid!"

"Well, the moment's ruined now," Temari groaned, releasing Naruto. "You two can have at it."

"I'm not in the mood anymore," Kin grunted, giving Naruto a sour look.

Naruto opened his mouth, no doubt about to make the situation worse, but Temari decided to take pity on him. It wasn't that he didn't understand Kin, it was that he was far too used to picking fights with her (or in many cases, furthering fights that Kin started) just so they could make up later. That was fine so long as it worked, but for once, Temari didn't want them to waste time fighting, not when they'd be separated soon with the invasion looming over them. They needed to spend as much time together as was possible, without fighting.

"Do you two know how lucky you are? To have each other and be in love?" Temari asked.

Kin blinked, the angry scowl dropping off of her face at once. She actually seemed a little ashamed now. Naruto just smiled slightly, realizing what Temari was up to.

"I know people who love each other are supposed to fight a lot, but you two really take it too far. Which reminds me, I've never actually heard either of you say the words. Right here, right now, I want to hear them."

Naruto shrugged, calmly turned to Kin, and looked straight into her eyes. "I love you, Kin-chan," he said firmly. "You're my girl. You know that."

Temari smirked as Kin turned bright red. Usually, the Sound kunoichi was so gruff and outspoken with Naruto, and it was nice to see that she could still be... well, a normal girl in love.

"Naruto-kun..." Kin said softly, looking away.

Rolling her eyes, Temari prodded Kin with a finger. "We're waiting."

Kin flashed Temari a dirty look before forcing herself to face Naruto. "You have my heart, Naruto-kun," she murmured.

Temari was about to complain that Kin wasn't technically done, but Naruto shot her a pleading look, so she let it go. "That's better. Now go make out or something."

Naruto grinned. "So now it's okay for us to do 'or something,' huh? Last time you said not until I'm-"

"NO 'OR SOMETHING!'" Temari shouted, glaring at him. "I mean... YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!"

* * *

_Konoha – Uchiha Compound – April_

Hanabi hated to admit it, but Sasuke was a good teacher. She didn't even have to listen to him. Just seeing him perform a jutsu first was usually enough for her to get it inside three tries.

Although, in retrospect, she wondered if it was her unique heritage, and not Sasuke's teaching ability, that was assisting her. It might even be both of their bloodlines that was doing it, but Hanabi doubted that Sasuke would knowingly give her a shortcut, unless he just really hated being around her that much and wanted to get it over with.

But if so, why, then, were they currently sitting in the grass doing nothing? Sasuke had said it was time for a break, but neither of them seemed tired. Hanabi had used very little energy so far, and was in fact ready to start again whenever Sasuke said. Unless you were actually doing something to stay busy, the Uchiha compound was really very boring to look at, in her opinion. Probably it had to do with Sasuke being the only other person there, and even though he wasn't exactly one for conversation, he could at least make a decent attempt at entertaining one or both of them.

And then, it hit her.

"You want to know how I knew about Shisui-san."

Sasuke didn't look at her, but his eyes seemed to darken. "Yes," he said simply.

"I can't tell you," Hanabi replied honestly. The Sandaime had forbidden her to speak of her origins, not that she had planned on telling anyone, anyway.

"Can't or won't?" Sasuke countered.

"Take your pick. It only matters that I do know. And that I know more." She paused, staring at him intently. "Will you trust me on that?"

He frowned. "I don't suppose I have much of a choice."

She rolled her eyes. "Sasuke, I want you to defeat Itachi, too. Has it ever occurred to you that the best way to go about that it to get advice from someone who knew him?"

"You say that as if you've spoken to Shisui," Sasuke murmured, narrowing his eyes.

"Is there any way to convince you I have without seeming insane?" Hanabi countered. She was starting to feel a little silly, especially since she could SEE Shisui, standing right beside them, and picking his nose, no less. She had to force herself not to smile as he reached out to wipe his finger clean in Sasuke's hair.

After a long moment of silence, Sasuke finally spoke. "Tell me something only he would know."

"The two swords he left you are part of a set. The third sword in the set, Youshin, is with Itachi. It is a sword of fire."

Sasuke gaped at her. Obviously, he hadn't even known that much.

"Oh, and there's something else," Hanabi added with a smile. "He's half Nara on his mother's side."

Sasuke took that a little better than she'd expected; he only grunted. Probably he was just happy that Shisui hadn't been half Akimichi. "Why should I believe any of this?" he asked. "You don't have any proof."

Hanabi didn't say anything at first. Sasuke just assumed she had run out of excuses, but from the way she tilted her head, it was almost as if someone were whispering to her. Before he could say anything, Hanabi suddenly grinned and vanished from view.

Sasuke was instantly on his guard. He could still sense Hanabi in the area, but he could not narrow down her exact location... at least, not until he felt the weight of her small body clinging to his back.

"Don't worry, onii-chan," Hanabi said into his ear, sounding very pleased with herself. "You're not slow. It's just that Shisui-san knows a version of Kage Buyo (Shadow of the Dancing Leaf) that's much faster, and uses less chakra. High-speed movement was his specialty, after all."

"And you just learned it," Sasuke replied angrily. "Just like that."

Hanabi frowned. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth, Sasuke. What else can I do?"

"Tell me how you're talking to him!" Sasuke shouted, shaking her off. "Tell me why I can't!"

She quickly backed away, seeing the telltale flash of red in Sasuke's black eyes. "You can talk to him," she insisted. "You just can't hear anything he says back. He's been here the whole time."

"So this is what Kikyou meant," Sasuke muttered, glaring at the ground. "Shisui has been with me ever since he died? Why are you the only one who can see or hear him? Why have you never mentioned this before?"

"Yes, I don't know, and what do you think would happen to me if I went around telling everybody that I could talk to dead people?" Hanabi sighed and shook her head. "I haven't even told Hinata."

Sasuke frowned, not liking the position this put him in. Technically, Hinata would want him to protect Hanabi's secret. But this definitely seemed like something that he shouldn't be keeping from his wife. Frankly, he found it very strange that Hanabi hadn't trusted Hinata with her secret already. They'd had their differences, but Hinata would do anything for Hanabi, and they both knew it.

"Shisui-san thinks we should tell her together," Hanabi murmured, sounding reluctant. "He says that's really important, for some reason."

"Anything else?" Sasuke asked, barely managing to keep the bitterness out of his voice. It still stung that he had to depend on Hanabi, of all people, to talk to Shisui.

"Yes. He says Itachi is mad."

"I knew that already," Sasuke snapped.

"You're not listening," Hanabi insisted. "He's not crazy, he's angry."

Sasuke glared at her. "Of course he's crazy! He killed our entire clan just to test his power! He could've just defeated them! He didn't have to-"

"Have you ever stopped to consider what might have driven him to do that, though? Surely he didn't hate everyone in the clan?"

It made a strange kind of sense, now that Sasuke forced himself to think about it. Itachi had been indifferent with most people. Hatred would've required effort and time, neither of which Itachi bothered wasting on people he considered beneath him. Even as Itachi had stood over the bodies of their parents, he had not displayed any emotion. That was one of the things that had bothered Sasuke the most. Itachi had several confrontations with their father that Sasuke could recall, and afterwards, their mother had always been the one to take Itachi aside and offer him reassurance. Itachi had never looked all that reassured, but he had tolerated her little speeches every time, and had not pulled away when she hugged him and kissed his forehead. If he had hated her, Itachi had gone to great lengths to conceal that fact. But murdering her out of love made even less sense.

* * *

Uchiha Itachi did not consider himself crazy. It was true that he allowed himself to be called that, even encouraged the illusion at times, but if there was one thing Itachi had always been, it was sane.

It was just that most people refused to pay attention to logic, and when they came across someone who recognized it down the to smallest detail, the way Itachi did, they labeled those rare individuals with negative names.

No, Itachi wasn't crazy. He was smart.

Konoha was not the paradise that many of its residents liked to think it was. Even as a boy, Itachi had noticed that everyone was not quite as fortunate as his clan was. He saw how those ninja who did not possess many talents, or were severely injured in the field, got forced into mundane jobs or early retirement. They were all just killing machines, and when a machine broke, if it was too expensive to fix, you put it to the side and moved on.

And if it had just ended there, Itachi might be the Uchiha clan head today, however reluctantly.

But no. Some of the machines were put aside. But others were branded for life and forced into slavery, or destroyed outright just to gain more power.

Itachi could accept that he was a machine. He could even accept the fact that he would probably live to be old and blind one day, and when that happened, he would have to step aside gracefully. He could not and would not accept that the end of his life might be someone else's stepping stone. Especially not if that someone came from his own clan. He had worked too hard to gain his power, and he refused to give it up.

Learning about the existence of the Mangekyou had been one of the darker days in his life. He hadn't exactly trusted his clan before then, but after that, he suspected everyone of treachery. Even gentle Shisui, who he had loved like a brother. But Itachi had not become an ANBU captain by being a trusting fool. To this day, he had no idea to what lengths Shisui would've carried out his final mission. Perhaps he would've had a change of heart, and told Itachi everything. Perhaps he would've stabbed Itachi in the back, gained the Mangekyou, and become even greater.

In the end, it only mattered that Itachi hadn't given him the chance. They'd known each other too well, and Itachi had known exactly when and how to catch Shisui off guard.

It was one of the hardest things Itachi had ever done, but it was over so very quickly.

And it couldn't have ended there, he knew. So long as there was another Uchiha alive, there was a chance that Itachi could be killed to gain the Mangekyou.

Why, then, had he spared Sasuke?

Even Itachi wasn't quite clear on that. Could it be that even as he had been slaughtering his clan, Itachi had wanted to preserve it? If he had been so sure that Sasuke would never reach his level, why even leave him alive? Was it something as simple as brotherly affection? Probably not, but Itachi could not be sure anymore. Sometimes, though, he wished he had that elusive answer.

It would probably go a long way towards explaining why his mother had chosen to haunt him... and why she didn't seem the least bit bitter towards him. Although if she had hated him, it would definitely explain why she insisted on waking him up at 4 AM every single day, just as she had when she was alive. Of course, it rarely hurt to be an early riser, but Itachi got tired just like everyone else, and occasionally liked to sleep late, but no such luck.

It was the same thing every morning, and honestly, he was extremely tired of it.

"Good morning, my clever little weasel!"

Itachi scowled and opened his eyes, deciding not to dignify her usual greeting with a response.

But Uchiha Mikoto just beamed down at him, the way she always had until he'd dragged himself out of bed. A quick glance around the clearing showed him nothing to be concerned about. Kurenai was wrapped up tightly in her cloak, as she'd probably been tossing and turning all night. Kisame was sitting against a nearby tree, picking his teeth with a kunai.

"You have to be the only guy I know that can wake up at the same time every damn day," Kisame grunted, clearly impressed. "That's some internal alarm you got."

Since Kisame was not aware that Itachi considered that an insult, the Uchiha only said, "Hn." Then he got up, doing his best to ignore his mother's cheerful humming (for some reason, being called an alarm always amused her), and decided it was time for some answers. "Kisame. Remind me why we're going to Konoha without being ordered to."

Kisame grinned. "I forgot, you were asleep at the time. The kid called last night. She says the Nibi and the Gobi are together, and that they're eventually headed to Konoha, too."

That made Itachi pause. "It can't be. Four demon vessels in the same place, at the same time?" Still, Hatsumi was never wrong when it came to tracking, and she would not have bothered to tell them unless she was positive about her information.

"I told you: nobody misses the chuunin exams," Kisame said triumphantly. "The only downside is that it's going to be very crowded. Seems like everyone we know is going to be there. So either we can accomplish our goals during all the confusion..."

"Or it complicates every detail of our task." Itachi glared at nothing in particular. "But we have to risk it. If the Nibi manages to convince the other vessels to work together, there is no telling what they might accomplish."

At that point, Kurenai raised her head. "The two of you expect to take on four demon vessels?"

"There is a distinct difference between four unified demon vessels, and only two that have committed to working as a team, Kurenai-san," Itachi replied. "Also, the last time I counted, there were three of us."

Kurenai glared at him. "You can't really expect to parade me through Konoha? I may look completely different, but SOMEONE will recognize me, by my chakra signature if nothing else."

"Very possible," Itachi agreed. "I suspect the next thing they notice will be your new traveling companions, since you won't be going anywhere without one or both of us."

"There's too much that could go wrong with that plan," Kurenai insisted.

Itachi smirked. "Of course. It is Kisame's plan."

"Fuck you, Itachi," Kisame growled.

"I think it would be healthier for all of us if you didn't, Kisame."

Kurenai stared at them, wondering if it would be less dangerous for her to laugh or pretend she hadn't heard anything. In the end, she decided to turn away, but was both shocked and appalled by the fact that she found her lips curving into a definite smile.

* * *

_Forest Near the Waterfall Village – April_

Haku was now officially a Cloud-nin, and he had the lightning burns to prove it.

Actually, he was amazed that it hadn't taken much more effort on his part. Haku had always assumed that ice was his element, and that he would never be proficient in any other. But as Kyojuu had pointed out when they started the training, that only meant he was halfway there already.

The first day had been the hardest. For an hour, Haku and Kyojuu fought each other, while knee-deep in water, no less. Haku lost badly: none of his ice attacks even seemed to touch the larger boy, while all of Kyojuu's lightning attacks were amplified by their surroundings.

Later, Kyojuu admitted to having an unfair advantage: he could manipulate water just as easily as he could lightning, so Haku would've lost no matter what he did. But the point had been to show that Haku could only rely entirely on ice when his opponent didn't know how to use it against him.

The second day, Yugito and Kyojuu fought, just so Haku could see more of the lightning attacks he would need. It was one of the more amazing things he had seen in his second life so far. Lightning was unlike ice in that it had a life of its own. Ice only flew in one direction once it was launched, but lightning could turn back on the user if they weren't careful and focused. The two demon vessels handled lightning like old pros, though, and Kyojuu was somehow able to absorb it entirely without any visible effort.

"Don't expect to pick this up too quickly, no matter how good you are," Yugito had told Haku each time she had to massage feeling back into his burned, numb hands. "Well, unless you're hiding a demon in you, that is. Then you can cheat like we do."

Haku found his own way of cheating: his senbon. It was much easier to aim the lightning using them as targets, and the frozen ones were especially good for guiding the lightning away from him in mid air.

As he always had, Haku learned quickly. Admittedly, his control was not good enough to pass for a Cloud chuunin... which was fine, since he was posing as a genin. His taijutsu, which had been above average thanks to Zabuza's training, improved drastically: Yugito's speed and Kyojuu's power made them overwhelming but extremely useful sparring partners. Haku suspected that just being around them was making him stronger; they seemed to have that much strength and skill to spare.

Contrary to Zabuza, though, they were also good friends. Yugito insisted he was too thin, and kept cooking huge meals that Haku couldn't possibly eat alone (which worked out fine, since Kyojuu and Yorishiro ate even when they weren't hungry). Once Haku completed his training, Kyojuu gave him a strange, furry cloak that was chilly in heat and warm against cold. Yugito gave him a pair of black gloves that absorbed any kind of heat. "Made them from my own back hair," she'd joked, but something in her eyes made Haku feel she wasn't entirely kidding.

One of the more interesting aspects of his new friends was how they shopped. Once a week, Kyojuu sent Yorishiro into the Hidden Waterfall Village, and she would come back dragging a bag of sweets, used clothing, and discarded weapons. Haku had no clue how she managed it, but he assumed the local children were responsible, since Yorishiro often came back with ribbons around her ears or an old collar around her neck. Kyojuu didn't consider it stealing, since Yorishiro would be sure to play with (and thoroughly lick) anyone who contributed to their cause.

But as he went to bed each night, reflecting on all he had learned, Haku realized that he was not at all concerned about their mission. He was confident in his abilities, and those of his teammates (he was still startled at how easy it was to think of them that way). The only thing that truly worried him was what he would say to Ino when he saw her next.

* * *

After two weeks of close observation, Ino was allowed to go home... and rest. This was annoying because that was all she had been doing in the hospital, although she was a lot more comfortable at home. Even better, Sakura got permission to move in with her temporarily (not a difficult feat, since Ino's father knew her, and was doing anything he could to make Ino happy).

But Ino was not happy. She was frustrated.

She liked having Sakura around all of the time, but she also noticed how alert Sakura was when they were alone together. Kiba was far less deliberate when he did it, probably because his senses were so strong to start with, but Ino could tell when she was being protected, and it bothered her.

Ino could admit (though she didn't like to aloud) that she had been raped. But that had in no way dulled her skills as a kunoichi. If anything, the long period of rest with no training had done that. True, she would probably fall apart if she ever saw a man who even slightly resembled ones that had violated her. But it hadn't happened so far, and Ino was confident that if Gaara said he'd killed the men responsible, then they were very much dead. She would never trust so easily again either, but a certain amount of paranoia went hand in hand with being a ninja.

But they wouldn't let her train: not her father, not Sakura, not even Kiba, and he lived for training. The only times Ino saw Chouji was when he came to visit. Shikamaru didn't visit at all. Asuma checked on her often, but not nearly as often as he would have were she still on active duty.

It didn't take long for Ino to realize that the rest of her team was still on active duty. That didn't make her angry, but it did make her more determined to get in some training of her own.

So one morning while her father was out, Ino dragged Sakura into the backyard, and with no warning at all, attacked her.

It was more than a little embarrassing.

Surprised as she was, Sakura recovered far more quickly than Ino had expected. One second, Ino's fist was headed for Sakura's face, and the next, Sakura was behind her, with both of Ino's arms pinned between them.

"Ino," Sakura said calmly but firmly, "you really shouldn't do that. I almost broke your arm."

Ino opened her mouth to make a cutting reply, but the next thing she knew, she had burst into tears.

Sakura instantly let go of her friend's arms and hugged her gently. "Ino, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'm not DEAD, dammit!" Ino screamed, pulling away from her. "I can still be useful! I'm still a kunoichi!"

Sakura bit her lip. "I know that, but you need to recover-"

"I'm never going to recover if I don't train! You saw how slow I've gotten!"

"We just don't want anything to happen to you."

"It's LIFE!" Ino shouted. "SOMETHING has to happen! None of you could stop me from being raped, and you can't stop this, either!"

Sakura's face fell. "That's not fair, Ino. You know I'd do anything to-"

"Then help me train," Ino demanded. "If nothing else, show me some good genjutsu." She figured that starting out with something that didn't require much physical effort was best to convince Sakura.

"Okay, fine," Sakura sighed heavily. "But when your father finds out, you better remember how bad you wanted this. I'm not taking the fall by myself."

* * *

Kankurou woke up in the middle of the night, wincing from the phantom pains in his right arm. But this was a bit misleading, because from his right elbow on down, Kankurou's arm was composed of steel, wood, rubber, and depending on his mood, either enough poison to contaminate an entire village, or enough explosive to reduce much of one to rubble.

His actual right forearm had been sacrificed in the pursuit of true puppet mastery. As for its current location, that, too, was a bit misleading. The arm had been divided into five pieces by Kankurou himself, all while he was still bleeding from the fresh stump. He had passed out immediately afterward, and upon waking up, he discovered he was able to control his puppets even if he was miles away from them. Kankurou didn't quite understand it, but as Sasori had explained to him, each of his puppets would be embedded with a piece of his arm (each piece had a finger, that was very important). Preserving the remaining two pieces of his arm had been easy enough, as Sasori had special storage containers specifically for that purpose.

Sasori had also placed a piece of himself, usually just a hair or two, into each puppet he had ever created. With some effort, he could make Karasu speak in his voice, or control the puppet entirely, if Kankurou should ever become incapacitated in the field.

"The puppet master is the brain," Sasori had told him, "and even if pieces of him should be separated from the main body, those pieces still seek out signals from the brain. By focusing your chakra in the proper way, you can re-connect with those pieces, and make them remember that they are still under your control."

Taking a deep breath, Kankurou closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. His middle finger, buried deep inside his still uncompleted puppet, was itching for action. Smiling, Kankurou opened his eyes again.

"Patience, Jorougumo. Your time is coming soon."

**End of Chapter 21.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Arashi: storm; tempest

Youshin: leaf blade

Jorougumo: Oriental species of golden orb-weaving spider, a.k.a. wasp spider

I prefer the idea of the Yondaime Hokage's name being Arashi. Why? I like that name better than Minato (I keep picturing Sailor Venus with day-old stubble). While we're on that subject, I have another gripe. I realize the Yondaime didn't want Naruto to have his name for all the danger it might attract from enemies, but seems like it would've at least made Naruto safe from the majority of the village, not to mention how many people would lay down their lives to protect the son of the Yondaime. I assume they would, at least, if they're dumb enough to think Konohamaru was worthy of respect just because he's the Sandaime's grandson.

I like funny Tobi better than pseudo-Madara Tobi (honestly, I think a lot of us preferred the first one). I have a hard time accepting that there could be two Uchiha in Akatsuki, especially if one of them is Itachi. Geez, Tobi somehow being Obito makes more sense than him being Madara. All of which leads me to believe that whoever Tobi is, he's nuts. Perhaps nuts enough to just believe he's Madara, instead of actually being him? No such luck, I'd bet.

And is it me or is Akatsuki dying off a little too quickly all of a sudden? These guys are supposed to be tougher than demons, yet they're falling like dominoes.

Kamatari's jutsu:

**Kirikiri Mai (Quick Beheading Dance):**

Kamatari unleashes slicing winds powerful enough to flatten a whole forest.

Temari's jutsu:

**Gufuu no Jutsu (Hurricane Technique):**

Temari creates a cyclone, with herself at the center, to curve a foe's attack around her body, adding her own winds to increase the attack's momentum as it is aimed back at the sender.

Hanabi's jutsu:

**Kage Buyo (Shadow of the Dancing Leaf): **

A taijutsu technique that relies on high-speed movement (couldn't be anything else, since Lee can do it with ease) to suddenly appear directly behind an enemy. If the target is airborne, then the user jumps in such a way as to appear below the target while following a similar trajectory through the air. Since the victim is airborne, he is in a vulnerable position to a more damaging attack.

It should be noted that Shisui's version of this might actually have more to do with shadows than speed, or at least a mix of the two.


	22. A Home Where the Thunderbirds Roam

Notes: Alright, this chapter is Naruto-heavy, so all you people get off my back, dammit.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 22: A Home Where the Thunderbirds Roam**

* * *

_Konoha - Hokage's Office - April_

There was silence in the office of the Sandaime Hokage as he carefully read Gaara's report on the Land of Waves mission for the fourth time. It was still hard to believe that Sasuke and Hinata had come out of such dangerous circumstances with just minor surface damage. The Hokage no longer questioned his decision to make them a full ANBU squad: they clearly had the ability, and Gaara had not overstepped his authority at any point. Asuma's report backed that up, and spoke highly of the way Gaara had met each new challenge without hesitation.

And yet, there was something that the old man was not seeing in both reports: the reasoning behind Gaara's recommendation that a mysterious Cloud kunoichi, Nii Yugito, and any teammates she might have, be allowed to participate in the upcoming chuunin exams. Asuma's report only stated that she had cared for his team while they were injured. But Gaara practically gave her credit for rescuing Ino and Asuma, or at least enabling him to do so.

The Hokage suspected that Gaara was just being overly generous to the girl... and that in itself was curious. Gaara rarely went out of his way for anyone he had just met, so this Yugito must have made quite an impression on him. But a good impression was not reason enough to put the entire village at risk, and certainly not for a group of Cloud-nin again.

"I'm afraid I will need more information about this Cloud kunoichi before I can allow her access to Konoha, Gaara. You know we have a bad history with her people."

"I am not asking you to trust her entire people," Gaara replied calmly. "Only the ones she will be bringing with her."

The old man shook his head. "I am going to need more than that, Gaara. Why do you trust her?"

Gaara hesitated before he answered. "She may have saved my life. She was able to trigger my transformation when I was not."

"And she just happened to know what putting you to sleep would do?" the Sandaime asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I find that difficult to believe."

In the silence that followed, Gaara closed his eyes. He seemed to be considering how much he was at liberty to say, something that bothered the Hokage a great deal. Gaara was loyal to his friends, but until now, they had all been Leaf-nin. There was no telling how far he would go to protect this girl, and he did not seem to care where she hailed from.

Finally, Gaara opened his eyes. Then, to the Hokage's growing shock, he lowered himself to his knees and bowed his head. "Please, Hokage-sama," Gaara said quietly. "I know that you trust me. I must ask you to believe in me when I say that Yugito's coming here is best, not just for me, but for the entire village. I am positive that everyone involved in the mission will vouch for her."

"It's not just a matter of whether or not I will trust her. The public reaction to one Cloud-nin being here, much less three or more, would be-"

"Nothing that she has not faced before, I am certain," Gaara interrupted, raising his head as he stood up. There was an intensely cold look in his eyes as he spoke. "She can protect herself, and if she could not, then I would."

The old man sighed. "Why are you doing this, Gaara?"

"Because Naruto is not here to do it himself," Gaara replied over his shoulder as he left the office, knowing that his request would be granted.

* * *

_Konoha - Training Area 44 (Forest of Death) - April_

Sasuke had planned it all perfectly. He'd gotten special permission from the Sandaime to train in one Konoha's most dangerous areas. He'd convinced Hanabi to give him a somewhat vague overview on his two swords. He'd even requested an experienced kenjutsu teacher to help him. He was hoping for Kakashi.

He got Anko.

Worse than that, he got Anko on a day when she'd been planning to get fall-down drunk. And the only thing worse than being stuck with Anko, in Sasuke's mind, was being stuck with a sober Anko when she wanted very much to be drunk.

For one thing, her "help" came in the form of half-hearted criticisms of what he was doing wrong, though she would never tell him what he was doing right, either.

"You'll never kill anybody swinging a sword like THAT, kid."

"Maybe you better put one of the swords down, until you can actually handle one by itself."

"Hey, your fly's open. Not complaining, but I hear some people mind it."

"Hmm. Never saw anybody cut anything that sloppy before. And I've seen my granny do better with a busted hip."

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke finally shouted.

Anko blinked at him slowly, as if startled by his outburst. "I'm only trying to help."

"YOU ARE NOT!" he hollered, waving his swords wildly. "And if you say one more word, I'm going to-"

"Hey, LOOK!" Anko suddenly shouted, pointing excitedly over his shoulder.

Sasuke glowered at her. "I'm not going to fall for that."

But Anko was not trying to be funny, nor was she attempting to make a fool out of Sasuke. Her gaze was trained entirely on a tiny yellow bird that had fluttered down from a tree, and came to perch squarely on top of Sasuke's head.

This did nothing to improve Sasuke's mood. Over the course of his life, the few children that had possessed the courage to insult him had always fallen back on the same standby: his head looked like a bird's butt from the back. Consequently, the idea of a bird sitting on him was not a welcome one, so he followed his first instinct, which was to brush the annoying creature off.

His arm was halfway up when Anko, in a remarkable show of speed, flipped off of the boulder she'd been sitting on, grabbed his wrist while she was passing overhead, and twisted it behind his back as she landed.

"Do you have ANY idea what just landed on your fool head?" Anko demanded in a harsh whisper. "That is a genuine thunderbird chick!"

"There's no such thing," Sasuke responded immediately, and hissed as Anko twisted his arm a little more.

"Of course there is! They're just so rare that I haven't seen one since I was a genin!" Anko leaned closer to peer at the chick, which had made itself comfortable and was currently nipping at random strands of Sasuke's hair as it if were all worms.

Sasuke winced and glared. "And why should I care what happens to some dumb bird?"

Anko barely resisted the urge to smack the back of his head. "Why do you think they're called thunderbirds, baka? They're incredibly powerful when they grow up, and if you're ever lucky enough to actually have one choose you, it's an honor! Hold still so you don't scare it off!"

"Is there any truth to what she's saying?" Sasuke muttered as Anko ran off to fashion some sort of cage.

"I'm afraid so, Sasuke-sama," Kikyou replied, though she stayed hidden beneath the tape on his arm. "It would be wise not to scare the bird away. Once it matures, it will bless you with a gift for taking care of it. Perhaps a summoning contract, or some sort of weapon."

"But what kind of bird doesn't have sense enough to stay away from snakes?" Sasuke grunted. "I'd have to watch it every minute to keep it safe."

"Actually," Kikyou replied with growing reluctance, "thunderbirds have no natural predators, and for good reason. But they can and usually are killed by manmade weapons. They've been hunted to the brink of extinction, in fact, so the few that remain generally avoid human settlements. It is odd that this one would venture into Konoha, but since people don't actually live in this forest, it's probably one of the better places for a thunderbird to hide its nest."

"I still haven't heard anything to convince me to keep this dumb bird."

Kikyou sighed. "A mature, enraged thunderbird has the destructive power equivalent to one of the Kyuubi's tails. And if there is a chick here, there are probably at least nine more in hiding nearby. Considering how devastated this village was by the Kyuubi, how do you think it would stand up to him if he had eight Shadow Clones, all of whom could stay airborne indefinitely if need be?"

Sasuke blinked. "So, um... what do I feed this thing?"

* * *

_Konoha - Ichiraku Ramen - April_

Hinata could not remember the last time she had been so uncomfortable.

Probably it was mostly her fault for being so emotional. She had missed Hanabi terribly while in the Land of Waves; apparently not seeing her sister very much, but still having been in the same village up until then had given Hinata some sort of inner comfort.

Naturally, she had been thrilled when Hanabi "randomly" showed up at the Uchiha compound, and invited Hinata to take her out to lunch. And Hinata, despite actually knowing her sister, had assumed that Hanabi just wanted to spend time with her.

They had an unspoken agreement not to discuss their true heritage in public, but that was just common sense. Hinata was still a little hurt that Hanabi had withheld that information, especially the part that concerned them both. She could understand why Hanabi had not told her about communicating with spirits (although the thought of Hanabi not trusting her with that hurt, too), but it only drove home the point that despite having practically raised her single-handedly, there was a great deal about Hanabi that Hinata didn't know, largely because Hanabi had made the choice to conceal it.

Unfortunately, Hanabi was a habitual (not to mention proud) rule breaker, and her respect for their agreement lasted maybe ten minutes.

By the time they reached Ichiraku, she had begun naming people she thought might've exhibited the powers of a Hyuuga-Uchiha hybrid.

"Satoshi! He was really weird, talking to animals and stuff. Remember how he caught that big, yellow rat and kept it in his room?"

Hinata sighed. Satoshi had been an older cousin of theirs. Admittedly, he had been eccentric, up until he accidentally blew himself up with a Raiton technique that was not only forbidden, but from that point on erased from Hyuuga history (not that anyone had shown interest in it after his very messy death). Fortunately, the clan reported him as killed in action, more to save face than to spare Satoshi's memory. "Hanabi-chan, Satoshi was unfortunate, not powerful. I am quite certain he was... well, not normal, but not particularly gifted, either."

Hanabi pouted. "Then YOU name someone!" she demanded, planting her hands on her hips.

"No, I will not. We agreed not to talk about this." Hinata pulled aside the curtain over the ramen bar's entrance, and gave her sister a pointed look.

"You're no fun, onee-chan," Hanabi complained as she went in first. "I might as well have dragged Neji here. At least I'd know in advance I'd be bored stiff with him."

"I don't doubt that you'd have plenty of offers for a free lunch if you were a bit more considerate, Hanabi-chan," Hinata replied. "It may shock you to learn this, but some people actually prefer NOT to be insulted to their faces."

"But they'd still throw a tantrum if you did it behind their backs, so why bother?" Hanabi countered as she hopped onto a stool in front of the counter. "Hey, Ayame!" she shouted, ignoring the exasperated look Hinata gave her. "Hinata says she'll report your crappy ramen stand to the health inspector if you don't hurry-"

Hinata made a somewhat restrained attempt to tackle her sister, but since Hanabi had hooked her short but deceptively strong legs around the stool's, the attempt failed. Fortunately, Hinata had another option, one she only used when extremely annoyed with her sister.

Three seconds later, Ayame emerged from the storeroom to a very peculiar sound: joyous, infectious laughter, from a voice that sounded suspiciously like Hanabi's. But since Hanabi was rarely joyous (but almost certainly infectious, and not in a good way), this simply had to be someone else. Yet Ayame's eyes insisted that there were indeed two Hyuuga girls at the counter, and one of them, who looked exactly like Hanabi, was shrieking with laughter as the other one tickled her mercilessly.

Ayame did the only thing she could do in such a situation. She quickly reached down, grabbed her camera from a shelf under the counter, and snapped off a few priceless photos before the Hyuuga sisters could notice the flashes.

Finally, Hinata seemed to tire, and she stopped tickling Hanabi, content to just hold her little sister as they both caught their breath. This would've made an even cuter picture, but Ayame was already pressing her luck, so she forced away the urge and cleared her throat loudly.

Hinata had the decency to blush. "Ayame-san, Hanabi didn't really mean-"

"Oh, I know," Ayame assured her with a wink. "After all, it's not like any self-respecting Hyuuga would eat at a 'crappy ramen stand,' right?"

"I never said it wasn't GOOD crappy ramen," Hanabi replied. "Anyway, it's more expensive anywhere else."

Ayame was used to Hanabi insulting things she actually liked, so she wasn't TOO offended. But if she happened to drop some chili powder into Hanabi's first bowl of ramen, well, that was just a happy accident.

Hinata was just about to apologize for Hanabi again (she tended to do a lot of that, and it was probably the main reason Hanabi hadn't been banned from several shops entirely) when she noticed two more customers entering the ramen stand. Unfortunately, it was the last two people she wanted to be around... or at least, she was the last person they wanted to be around.

But there was no point in trying to escape. Sakura and Ino froze right in front of the curtain, and attempting to go around them would've been even more awkward. Finally, Sakura scowled and grasped Ino's elbow, steering her to a pair of seats at the other end of the counter.

Hinata sighed to herself and stared down at the counter. She couldn't understand why Sakura seemed to hate her still. They had saved Ino's life and brought her home, just as she'd promised. What more did Sakura want from her? The one time Hinata had tried to visit Ino in the hospital, Sakura had been so cold to her that from then on, Hinata had just left her flowers and cards with Ino's father. He, at least, seemed to appreciate the effort, probably because he knew all of Ino's friends (and therefore knew Hinata wasn't really one of them).

Of course, Hanabi picked up on the tension at once. Hinata had only told her that she'd found a sword during the mission, and Hanabi had confirmed that it "felt right," but only after she'd seen it transform. So by all rights, Hanabi should've had no idea what had happened to Ino.

It didn't occur to Hinata until much later that maybe dead spirits didn't respect the various clearance levels applied to missions.

"What's their problem?" Hanabi demanded far too loudly. "Isn't that the girl that Gaara saved? And didn't you kill the man that took her hostage?"

"Hanabi-chan, don't," Hinata whispered, shaking her head.

"Why shouldn't I? I'm the only one that can treat you that way!"

Hinata wasn't sure if she should feel touched or hurt by that, and before she could make up her mind, Hanabi had climbed onto the counter and marched over to Sakura and Ino.

"You should show some respect for the people who don't leave you to end up as road kill," Hanabi snapped.

Though Ino was already fairly pale, it was easy to see the color leave her face.

"I'm sure Gaara's death squad knows all about leaving people as road kill," Sakura snapped right back.

Hanabi snorted. "Don't be stupid, they're much cleaner about it than that." Which was true, but not really the point.

"I'm surprised to hear you talk like that, Sakura," Ayame admitted calmly.

"Not everyone loves Gaara as much as you do, Ayame-san," Sakura replied.

Ayame blinked. "True, but not what I meant. I'm just amazed that you think the men who hurt Ino deserved a better end than what Gaara no doubt gave them."

Sakura froze. "Well, I didn't mean-"

"Oh, I see. So Gaara is a monster, up until he's useful to you." She shook her head. "It's that kind of thinking that creates those kinds of men in the first place. And it's also why Naruto-kun chose to leave."

Sakura's eyes widened. "He... chose to leave?"

"Because of people who judged him without knowing him," Hanabi added with a glare. "Remind you of anyone?"

* * *

_Temple of Jashin - Location Unknown - April_

Kakuzu was in surprisingly good mood, considering he'd dragged Hidan's lifeless body for several hundred miles (although maybe that actually did explain his good mood). He was in no real hurry to get a soul implanted into Hidan's body; his former partner had always talked too much, and beating up a dead body was surprisingly like beating a live one until it was dead, so Kakuzu had no complaints about Hidan's current state.

Unfortunately, the Leader had decided that there was still some use in Hidan's body, although he had thankfully turned down Tobi's suggestion of putting one of their demons into it, "just to see what would happen." Kakuzu was of the opinion that the demon would get a good feel for the body, and then promptly try to kill itself. Upon finding it could not, it would attempt to destroy everything in sight. In other words, the only soul that would consent to being stuck in Hidan's body was Hidan himself (and probably Orochimaru, but he was a freak). Still, Orochimaru was probably the main reason why the Leader didn't want Hidan's body just lying around any longer. And since the Snake Sannin had no problem suppressing the average soul, it would have to be a particularly disagreeable one that they stuck into Hidan's body.

That was why Kakuzu had been ordered to drag Hidan's body out to a temple in the middle of nowhere. On top of that, he now had to wait for Hatsumi and Tobi to arrive: Hatsumi was the only other member who had taken the time to learn anything about Hidan's idiotic religion (or maybe she was actually a fellow... whatever they were; Kakuzu wasn't clear on that), and apparently nonbelievers were not allowed inside the temples. Normally, Kakuzu would've ignored that rule, except he was pretty sure he'd spotted the charred remains of some nonbelievers (or perhaps even believers) who had ignored the rules, so he thought it best to wait outside.

He hadn't been waiting long before a delighted voice cried, "There you are, Valentine!"

Hatsumi came skipping out of the bushes and launched herself at him, latching onto his large hand and swinging back and forth on it until he shook her loose. Tobi followed a few seconds later, staring at the large, white temple before them.

"Are we positive this is the best place to get a soul?" he asked.

"This is the only place we can get a spirit that will cooperate with Ghoulie's body, Big Buddy," Hatsumi informed him with a nod. "But I don't think the temples like people who don't believe in them, so you two better stay out here so you don't get hurt."

Tobi started to ask if Hatsumi knew anything about sealing, then decided against it. So far, she had turned out to be a virtual library on numerous subjects, from the proper care of armadillos to the exact height and weight of Momochi Zabuza when he'd become a Mist genin. Tobi could only assume that in between coloring books, Hatsumi did quite a bit of reading.

Still, it was hard for him to watch Hatsumi drag Hidan into the temple by herself. What if something went wrong? What if she got hurt, and he couldn't help her? What if-

What if Kakuzu threw a punch at him with he was thinking about his what ifs?

"I'm bored," Kakuzu explained with a shrug. "Let's fight."

It was a welcome distraction, really. There was no time for Tobi to worry about Hatsumi in between avoiding Kakuzu's attacks. At first it was just taijutsu, but the larger man quickly became frustrated when he could only land glancing blows, so then he moved on to ninjutsu. Even that wasn't a problem at first... until the masks sewn into Kakuzu's back came into play.

Kakuzu wasn't fast, nor did he need to be. His defenses were considerable enough where he could take huge amounts of damage and keep fighting. But he was strong, and he was very experienced in battle, to the point where despite Tobi being the one with the Sharingan, Kakuzu could predict what he was going to do pretty accurately. The masks only made this more difficult: Tobi only had one Sharingan eye to work with, so it was hard to be aware of both Kakuzu and however many masks he had attacking at any given moment. And since the masks moved a lot faster than their master did, Tobi ended up taking quite a few hits he would've preferred to avoid. Several times he had to decide if he wanted to be burned or electrocuted, and more often than not, he didn't get to make the choice himself. Worst of all, there was no chance for Tobi to get on the offensive. Kakuzu attacked relentlessly, never hesitating for even a second.

By the time Hatsumi appeared again, Kakuzu was just winded. Tobi, on the other hand, was nursing what felt like two dead arms, severe burns across his chest and legs, and a black eye from where Kakuzu had landed a solid punch as Tobi had been trying to dodge some lightning from one of the masks.

Hatsumi took one look at them and sighed. "Boys," she said simply, shaking her head.

"Did it work?" Kakuzu asked, noticing that she was alone.

"Um, yes and no," Hatsumi replied hesitantly. "I told Mr. Jashin what happened, and I asked him real nice if he'd mind lending us a soul until we got poor Ghoulie fixed up. He said yes, but..."

"But?" Kakuzu continued with a frown.

"We have to do him a favor, or in one year, he's going to hunt down each of us and pull out our hearts through... well, our naughty places, and after that it just gets really icky."

"Is that all," Kakuzu grunted dully.

"Well, no. He also said I'm the only one that can control the soul he gave us. But you have to have a partner, and I'm already paired with Big Buddy, so I was thinking the four of us-"

"No." Kakuzu was officially in a bad mood now. "You take the soul, and I'll take Tobi. He needs the practice, anyway."

Hatsumi stomped her little foot. "I don't WANNA!"

"So?" Kakuzu demanded.

Hatsumi glared up at him defiantly.

Tobi wasn't quite sure what happened next. All he knew was that ten minutes later, the four of them were heading to the nearest Akatsuki base. Kakuzu was grumbling angrily to himself as he stomped along, Tobi had healed up rather nicely, Hidan (or whoever was in his body now) was keeping up with Kakuzu's longer strides with relative ease (and being strangely quiet, a welcome change), and Hatsumi was happily skipping in front of them, a big grin on her face.

"So what is this favor we have to do, anyway, Hami-chan?" Tobi asked.

"Oh, that," Hatsumi said. "Um, we have to destroy Suna and everyone in it at the time. Apparently Shukaku stole a monk from Mr. Jashin a long time ago, and he never really got over it. It's funny, though. He's not mad at Shukaku, he just wants the village destroyed."

"You think Sasori will mind?"

"No reason why he should, so long as his apprentice and Shukaku are in Konoha," Kakuzu answered. "It'll give us a good chance to find out how much of Hidan's power this guy has access to."

"Oh, I don't think it'll be a problem, Valentine," Hatsumi giggled.

* * *

_Gates of Konoha - May_

Naruto had not spoken since they'd left Suna, and now that they could see the gates of Konoha in the distance, Temari was starting to wonder if he'd ever speak again. Then again, no one but Temari had spoken the whole time, and that was only when she made attempts to strike up a conversation. Kankurou seemed more focused on getting to Konoha, and Kabuto busied himself by keeping track of their progress on his map. Thanks to the two of them, they'd made record time, though Temari and Naruto had barely noticed.

Kabuto had advised Naruto to keep a tight lid on Kyuubi's chakra, unless he actually needed it in the chuunin exams. This was more to avoid alarming the villagers needlessly, but Kabuto had failed to account for the fact that the mere sight of Naruto would alarm most people, whether he was releasing demonic chakra or not. While Naruto did not intend to draw attention to himself, he was not going to sit back and take the same abuse he had for the first years of his life, either. He had not deserved it then, and he wasn't about to let it slide now. Kyuubi was in full agreement of course, and had cleared Naruto to access an unprecedented amount of his chakra. "Don't you dare wuss out one me in front of these losers," was the only warning the fox had given him.

A few yards away from the gate, Naruto bit his thumb, smeared the blood across his neck, and closed his eyes. There was a small puff of smoke, and then Meg stuck her head out of his collar.

"About time!" the weasel complained. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me! Now it's too late to sing annoying travel songs!"

"Yeah, that's a shame," Naruto muttered, with no humor in his voice. But he did reach up to stroke Meg's head a few times. "Keep an eye out for me, okay? I'm not taking any chances."

"It'd be easier with my sisters helping me out."

"I know, but it's harder to hide three weasels, and I don't want anyone spotting you. They'd hurt you to get to me."

"Aw, love you, too!" Meg chirped, licking his chin before she ducked her head beneath his collar.

"Everyone just relax," Kabuto murmured. "Don't give them any reason to give us the third degree. We're allies on paper, but that only goes so far."

There were only a handful of guards posted outside of the gate, but they all seemed very alert. Kabuto was questioned briefly while their identification was checked, but once he explained they were participating in the chuunin exams, they were quickly allowed through the gate...

...straight into what at first seemed to be an ANBU ambush.

Naruto was just about to attack when Temari touched his shoulder. He realized an instant later what she was pointing out: the large group of cloaked ANBU were not there to attack, but to prevent an incident. The street was deserted: all of the civilians were missing, and the vendors had mysteriously shut down for so early in the afternoon.

"The old man," Naruto murmured softly. "He did this..."

One of the ANBU stepped forward. "Welcome to Konoha. You may call me Yamato. I have been authorized by the Sandaime Hokage to offer each of you a complimentary meal at Ichiraku Ramen." He turned to Naruto. "All except for you, that is."

Naruto's lips pulled back in a sneer.

"You, I'm supposed to offer ten meals."

The sneer was instantly replaced by a blank look. "If I'd known I was going to get the V.I.P. treatment just for coming back, I would've left sooner," Naruto muttered.

Yamato chose not to respond to that. "Please follow me closely. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that there are some who are not pleased with your return, or the presence of your teammates."

"Got it," Naruto grunted. "So just answer me one question first, because I've had would-be assassins pull this scam before. Why don't you hate me?"

"I know how it feels to be valued more for what you can do than for who you are. The Sandaime was the first to see beyond my abilities, and treat me like a person." Yamato lowered his voice slightly. "I am glad that you no longer seek death. That is not something one so young should ever look forward to."

"You'd be surprised how often it comes looking for me, anyway." Naruto glanced at each of his teammates. "He's okay. For now."

"So long as you're not just following him because of free ramen," Kankurou muttered.

"Free, high quality ramen," Naruto corrected with a smirk, "and no. Relax, Kankurou. It was a hellhole then, and it's probably one now, but I'm the only one of us that lived in it. Just follow my lead."

* * *

Tenten never thought she would admit it, but she had been missing her boys lately. Even Neji.

Lee had been on a series of solo missions, and Neji had been training by himself or at the Hyuuga compound. At certain points, Tenten had gotten so desperate for company that she'd actually visited their sensei at home (he had always encouraged them to, but only Lee had ever accepted).

"Don't let your youthful flames be put out by the chilling dampness of loneliness, my dear Tenten!" Guy had said, giving her his patented gleaming grin. "Your teammates are young men now, and young men must always burn with the desire to become greater than what they were the previous day! But fear not, my cute young pupil! If you feel as if your beloved Guy-sensei has been ignoring your youthful passion, then I will gladly dedicate myself to ensuring that you never feel lonely again!"

This speech, while it didn't really help at all, convinced Tenten that if nothing else, it wasn't just Lee that Guy thought of as his child. This made her happy, but it also scared her a little, since lately he had been commenting how slimming green spandex was.

But, in a fortunate turn of luck, her entire team ended up doing several D-rank missions towards the end of the month, in an effort to ease the overall workload on the village as the chuunin exams drew closer. Tenten didn't mind much, so long as she got to see her teammates again. Neji didn't even complain about how it was beneath them (or at least him).

None of them were really prepared for what happened as they walked through the Hokage Tower, though.

Tenten only noticed because she was behind Lee at the time.

Just outside of the Hokage's office, they passed a tall, blond woman who was... quite blessed in the chest region. This wouldn't have been noteworthy at all, except for the fact that the woman suddenly grinned, reached out with an extremely quick hand, and goosed Lee.

Considering she was Guy's student, Tenten had seen a LOT of weird things. But a woman pinching Rock Lee's bottom in broad daylight, well... that was definitely new.

Even stranger was Lee's reaction: he jumped nearly ten feet into the air. But upon coming down and spinning around, his face broke out into a megawatt grin. "MINA-SAMA!" he cried happily, launching himself at the woman, who caught him as they both proceeded to hug each other and laugh loudly.

Tenten blushed, less because Lee was being affectionate with a strange woman, and more because his head had practically vanished from view, and no one seemed to notice. But the longer she stared, the more convinced she was that she'd seen the woman before.

And then it hit her.

"TSUNADE-SAMA!" she squealed excitedly.

The woman turned to look at her with a curious expression, but by then Tenten had already latched onto her, and was hopping up and down just as giddily as Lee was.

And then Guy joined in, tears streaming down his face as he threw his arms around them all. Tsunade looked a little disgusted at first, but plastered a fake smile on her face and endured until it was over.

Neji stayed exactly where he was the whole time, looking like he wanted to pluck his own eyes out, or use them to zoom in on Tsunade's chest. It was hard to be sure, when his eyes were in shadow like they currently were.

Lee had finally figured out who the woman actually was. "Wait... you mean you're not?..."

"It's one of my codenames, Lee-kun," she assured him, patting his head fondly. "Don't feel bad. If I went around blurting out who I really was all the time, I'd never get a moment's peace. My name tends to attract big trouble, and that village wasn't strong enough to handle such a thing."

"It was an excellently youthful disguise!" Lee exclaimed.

"Glad you think so. And these must be those teammates you told me so much about," Tsunade continued, glancing at Tenten and Neji. "You two haven't been letting him push himself too far, have you?"

"No, of course not, Tsunade-sama!" Tenten answered at once, bowing. "I always make sure he takes breaks between those personal challenges of his!"

"Well, good. Rarely is a thousand push-ups, followed IMMEDIATELY by a thousand anything else a good idea, no matter what kind of shape you're in. Right, Lee-kun?" She gave him a stern look.

"Yes, ma'am," he murmured, lowering his head.

"Good boy." She patted him on the head again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to drop in on my old sensei for a bit." Guy saluted smartly as Tsunade passed him, but her mind was already on other things. "Wonder if he still stashes that bottle of sake under his desk..."

Tenten immediately grabbed Lee by the collar and shook him. "YOU KNEW TSUNADE-SAMA AND DIDN'T INTRODUCE ME?!"

"She wasn't Tsunade-sama when I met her, Tenten!" Lee protested. "I swear it! I thought she was only a very talented medic-nin!"

"She is also known for her skill with disguises, Tenten," Guy reminded her. "It's no wonder that Lee couldn't recognize her. She is one of the Sannin for a reason."

"Well... it's not fair!" Tenten whined. "I should've met her first! Damn you, Lee!" She started shaking him again. "YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS HER!"

"That's why you should show mercy, Tenten!" Lee moaned.

"I AM showing mercy!" she snapped. "I'm not using my weapons on you! YET!"

* * *

The Sand Siblings were ambushed the moment they set foot inside Ichiraku Ramen. Well, Naruto was, and even then he kind of enjoyed it.

"NARUTO-KUN, YOU'RE BACK!" cried his attacker as she latched onto him.

"Uh, nice to see you, Ayame nee-chan," Naruto managed to gasp as she squeezed him tight and kissed him on the nose.

"Oh, you've grown so much!" Ayame cried. "But you're so thin! You haven't been eating your usual ten bowls, have you? Sit down, let me make you something right now! You still like the pork, right?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Naruto answered as he took a seat at the end of the counter. Temari, Kankurou, and Kabuto sat as well, all of them looking at Naruto in thinly veiled surprise.

"I thought they hated your guts here?" Kankurou asked.

"They did and do. But Ayame and her old man looked after me. Kinda like you guys did, except they weren't allowed to take me in."

Ayame, who had been preparing Naruto's order, instantly spun around. "They're you're new family, Naruto-kun?" she demanded.

"Uh, yeah," Naruto agreed slowly. "Why?"

Without a word, Ayame leaned over the counter and pulled Temari and Kankurou into a big hug.

"You know, if it's just going to be downhill from here on out," Kabuto noted, "I wouldn't mind staying here the whole time..."

"I must advise against that."

Naruto and Kabuto were the only two that didn't look surprised as they turned to face the newcomer: Meg had detected her before anyone else, and Kabuto would hardly come off as a convincing jounin if he could be snuck up on so easily. They all wondered how a little girl had gotten past Yamato and the rest of the ANBU posted outside, though.

"I can't remember the last time I took the advice of a little girl," Kankurou snorted. "Oh, wait, that's because I never have."

Kabuto clucked his tongue in a reproachful manner. "Now, Kankurou, that's hardly any way to speak to a member of the famous Hyuuga Clan, no matter her age. You don't want to cause an incident, do you?"

The girl frowned, either because she was still mad at Kankurou, or she wasn't impressed by Kabuto's manners. After a few seconds, she stepped away from the curtain at the ramen stand's entrance and, much to everyone's growing surprise, stood directly in front of Naruto, gazing up into his face.

Naruto had his share of fangirls back in Suna, but the girl in front of him didn't seem the type; she was a Hyuuga, after all. All the same, she was making him a little uncomfortable, and he was just about to say so when she spoke.

"You look more like Yondaime-sama than a fox to me. Why can't anyone else see that?"

Naruto blinked several times. Before he could say anything, the girl had pulled herself into his lap and was staring intently into his eyes, patting his cheeks with her small hands, then turning his head from side to side.

"I don't get it," she said at last. "You look so... normal."

"Thank you?" Naruto murmured, his face red. "Um, who are you again?"

"Hyuuga Hanabi," the girl responded, tugging gently at his hair. "Do you mind?"

"What-" Naruto's voice trailed off in a squeak as Hanabi leaned closer and pressed her face into his neck.

"Damn," Kankurou muttered, a smile on his lips.

"HEY!" Temari shouted angrily.

Hanabi lifted her head, looking at them curiously. "What? I'm done now." She didn't, however, remove herself from Naruto's lap.

"Hanabi-chan," Ayame sighed, covering her face with a hand, "you've never even met Naruto-kun, and you're climbing all over him! Don't you think that's a little much?"

"He said he didn't mind," Hanabi pointed out.

"No, he said 'what,' actually," Kabuto chuckled. "And by then, it was too late."

"Fine," Hanabi huffed, turning to Naruto and lacing her fingers behind his neck. "Do. You. Mind?"

Naruto blinked. He was still trying to wrap his mind around what was happening to him. No one had ever reacted this way to him within the first minute of meeting him.

Hanabi faced the counter again and leaned back against Naruto's chest. "See, he's fine with it."

"Do you always crawl all over people you've just met?" Temari demanded, her left eyebrow twitching wildly.

"No," Hanabi answered after a few seconds of thought, "only the ones with demons in them. Gaara didn't mind, so I figured Naruto-san wouldn't, either."

Temari nearly fell off of her stool. "You know Gaara?!"

Kankurou gaped at the young girl. "You crawled all over Gaara?!"

"I thought I just made that clear," Hanabi grumbled, rolling her eyes. "But I guess I should thank you for sending the bear, Temari-san. He let me keep it."

"He... he did?" Temari asked, her face falling.

"Oh, grow up," Hanabi snapped. "What did you expect him to do with it? How would it look for someone his age to have a stuffed animal? I would think you'd be glad he gave it to a friend, rather than just tearing it apart or throwing it away."

"She has a point," Naruto agreed, "even if she was a little rude in making it." He poked Hanabi in her side as if to remind her of this, but she just swatted his finger away without looking.

"How do you know Gaara?" Kankurou asked, in much the same tone one might've asked, "How is it that Gaara hasn't killed a brat like you yet?"

"I met him at my sister's husband's birthday party." Hanabi paused to steal a piece of pork from the bowl that Ayame had just placed in front of Naruto. "We've been friends ever since."

Temari and Kankurou traded stunned looks. Gaara having a friend was impossible enough, but Gaara tolerating such an annoying friend, well, that was beyond impossible.

"Your sister," Naruto said, frowning thoughtfully as he inched his bowl away from Hanabi. "Is she quiet? Really shy? Does this weird little thing with her fingers when she's nervous?"

"That's Hinata," Hanabi replied at once, grabbing another piece of pork with a smirk. "I'm surprised you remember her."

"So am I," Naruto admitted, scratching his head. "I never thought of her before now, anyway. Whatever happened to her?"

"As I said, she got married. The two of them are on Gaara's squad."

"She's Gaara's age, and she's married?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"There were... very special circumstances," Hanabi answered. "I suppose they have to make exceptions, when a whole clan gets wiped out."

"So there's only two of you?" Kankurou asked, sounding relieved.

Hanabi glared at him. "No, the Uchiha got wiped out, but there are two left. One of them married Hinata, and the other-"

"Is his older brother, Uchiha Itachi," Kabuto supplied.

Naruto gaped at him. "Wait, you're telling me that Sasuke married Hinata?"

Temari sighed. "I think you're missing the point that his brother is an evil, super powerful missing-nin, Naruto."

"But SASUKE and HINATA?"

"It took a while for it to sink into my brain, too," Hanabi admitted sympathetically, even as she tugged Naruto's bowl back towards her, being so bold as to steal his chopsticks as well.

"Well, um... is she happy?" He sounded very doubtful, as if the idea of being married to Sasuke itself were cause enough to be unhappy for life.

"Disgustingly," Hanabi said around a mouthful of ramen.

"That's good, I guess." Naruto gave up his bowl as a lost cause and gestured for Ayame to bring him an even bigger one. "I still can't picture them together, though..."

"You'll see for yourself when they get back from their mission. Better yet, there's a picture of them right after they became a team, up there on the wall."

Naruto's gaze went in the direction Hanabi was pointing, and sure enough, right next to the old photo of himself, he could see a photo of Sasuke, Hinata, and Gaara standing just outside of the Ichiraku curtain. Hinata looked happy, at least, while Sasuke seemed only slightly annoyed, and Gaara came off as being bored, which was still a huge improvement, and far better than what Naruto had expected.

"Anyway," Hanabi said loudly, "you can't just wander around the village without proper guidance, Naruto-san. That's why I'm here. If anything bad were to happen to you, it could cause a major incident between our villages, lots of people would get killed, and nobody wants that."

"How is you tagging along with me going to keep people from dying?" Naruto asked skeptically.

"People are less likely to attack you if you're with me," Hanabi reminded him. "Also, I know some places where you would be welcome... and some you wouldn't. So it's just best if you do what I say."

"Somehow I knew it would all boil down to that," Kankurou mumbled, earning another dark look from Hanabi.

"I am not just some wanna-be tour guide. This is an order from the Sandaime Hokage, and last time I checked, that doesn't give you any choice in the matter. Anyway, I only have to accompany Naruto-san. The rest of you are on your own, unless you decide to follow us."

"I go where Naruto goes," Temari said firmly.

Hanabi shrugged. "Fine. I suggest we go to the Hokage Monument first. There is something there that you need to see."

* * *

_Fire Country - May_

Kurenai was starting to see exactly why Itachi had been counting on no one to approach her. Here she was, in a campsite that now contained not two, but four S-class criminals, and not one of them had questioned her presence.

She fit in. And that scared her more than anything else.

It occurred to her that maybe as a general rule, the older members of Akatsuki didn't question the new recruits. But then S-class criminals weren't frequently questioned by anyone, so it made a certain kind of sense. Still, it was hard to imagine an established duo like Itachi and Kisame being afraid of one person that wasn't one of the Sannin.

Finally, one of the new arrivals approached her. Thankfully, it was the smaller one that almost looked feminine in the face, as opposed to the hulking man that didn't talk much. She recalled Kisame referring to him as Deidara.

"Tough being the new fish, yeah?" Deidara asked, offering what Kurenai suspected was an insincere smile. After all, criminals weren't nice. At least, they hadn't been so far. Itachi and Kisame hadn't been cruel, though. More weird and immature at times, like older brothers.

She quickly scratched that thought from her mind. She'd seen what Itachi did to relatives. Scenes from the Uchiha massacre were commonly used to test ANBU hopefuls and jounin on proper procedure for recovering bodies.

"It's odd," was all Kurenai would commit to. She had no idea what Deidara was up to, so she wasn't about to drop her guard around him.

He kept smiling, not the least bit bothered by her short answer. "Every pretty lady should have a flower on her." Deidara tucked his hands behind his back, then presented her with two closed fists.

Kurenai wasn't in the mood for games, but she was willing to bet Deidara wouldn't go away until she picked one. She pointed at his left fist, which turned out to contain a tiny rose made of clay. But then, so did the right one. Deidara dropped both flowers into her hand.

"Won't hurt my feelings if you drop them. Just be careful where you do it, yeah," he warned her.

Something in his tone told Kurenai to hang onto the little flowers. She tucked them into her pocket, then blushed upon realizing she had just openly accepted Deidara's gift. The fact that he was grinning wider than ever now didn't help matters.

"Oi, Deidara! Get over here or we start the next round without you!" Kisame shouted.

Kurenai almost laughed at the torn look on Deidara's face as he glanced over to where Kisame was obviously (and loudly) winning the current card game. "I'm not going anywhere," she felt the need to point out. "And... thanks for the flowers."

Deidara nodded and headed over to the others, but not before throwing one last smile over his shoulder at her. He sat down between Sasori and Kisame, the latter of whom immediately teased him about being whipped.

Kurenai sighed and closed her eyes, wondering how she was going to get out of this mess... or if she was going to.

* * *

_Konoha - Hokage Monument - May_

Sakura sighed and brushed away a stray tear as she gazed up at the statue. Despite how long it took to reach the top of the Hokage Monument, she made a point of coming here at least once a week.

After all, it was unlikely she'd ever get to see Naruto any other way.

She did wish that the statue wasn't always "crying," though. Although she was certain that Naruto had cried, he had never let anyone see him do it, to her knowledge, and certainly not her. And even if she had, what would she have done? Teased him even more?

Wincing, Sakura lowered her head, suddenly too ashamed to even be there. "I'm sorry," she whispered, turning to walk away.

It was only then that she spotted the group near the stairs, and wondered how long they'd been there. Sakura had seen several people during her visits, and even though Gaara had installed his own security system, she still felt the need to protect the statues while she was there. She always kept an eye on anyone else that came while she was there, and this time would be no different, especially considering some of the group were obviously Sand-nin.

And there was something about the boy in front, with tanned skin and dirty blonde hair, that constantly dragged her eyes back to him. He was gaping; clearly he'd never seen the pair of statues before. Sakura had seen that kind of reaction before: he would either explode or break down in the next few seconds.

But he did neither. He just kept standing there, his jaw dropped and eyes bulging.

Sensing that he was harmless, Sakura decided to leave (again). She'd only taken two steps when something else stopped her.

"Sakura-chan?"

Her entire body froze. Sakura's eyes widened as she replayed the voice in her head. It was familiar, but different, one she hadn't heard in years. And yet...

"Naruto-kun?" she whispered, turning around slowly.

The boy jumped slightly, definitely not expecting the -kun that she tacked onto the end. He had no way of knowing that she'd been doing so in her head, ever since she'd figured out that it was the least he'd deserved from her.

"It IS you, isn't it?" Sakura asked, her eyes tearing up. "You came back..."

He winced, biting his lip. "Please don't cry, Sakura-chan..."

"Don't... DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO, BAKA!" Sakura screeched, running at him.

Naruto instinctively covered his head with his hands. With anyone else, he would've at least tried to dodge, but this was Sakura, and... well, he was used to it.

So he was immensely shocked when Sakura threw her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. "I thought you were dead," she whispered. "You were just gone, and... I'm so sorry..."

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto closed his eyes and slowly wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. I'm not mad at you. I didn't leave because of you. In fact, you're one of the only reasons I stayed as long as I did."

"How can you say that? I was so mean to you..."

He shrugged. "It didn't matter. You were my first crush. I never expected it to be easy."

Sakura slowly pulled away. "So... I'm not anymore?" she asked softly.

Naruto grinned. "Don't worry, you'll always be my first crush, Sakura-chan. But I'm a different person now. I'd like it if we could be friends, but I'm not gonna follow you around anymore. I don't think your boyfriend would like it, anyway."

She blinked. "How did you-?"

"I've got a good nose, too," Naruto replied. He paused, taking a deep breath. "It's good to see you again, Sakura-chan. You're prettier than I thought you'd be. Make sure Kiba knows he's the luckiest dog-boy around." He started to walk away.

"Naruto-kun," Sakura called after him, blushing slightly as he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You, um... remember where I live?"

Naruto's face broke out into a broad grin at the obvious invitation. "Yeah, I remember. I'll see you later, Sakura-chan." He waved and walked back to his group, scowling as they started teasing him about her.

"Got another girl on the side, huh?" the older boy asked, smirking at Naruto.

"Your fangirls back home won't like that too much," the blond girl added, ruffling Naruto's hair in a overly familiar gesture. "I can think of one in particular that'll take it pretty hard."

"Aw, lay off, you guys!" Naruto grumbled, though he made no move to make her stop. "It's not like that at all. She's taken, anyways."

"Come along, you three," the young man who was apparently their jounin sensei said, adjusting his glasses. "I'm sure Hyuuga-san has many more places of interest to share with us." He glanced over at Sakura, politely inclined his head, then ushered the three Sand genin back to the stairs.

"I'm glad you're okay now, Naruto-kun," Sakura murmured, turning back to the statues. "And if you truly belong with them... then maybe Gaara really is supposed to be here, with us..."

* * *

_Konoha - Uchiha Compound - May_

Sasuke and Hinata generally preferred to work on their kenjutsu at home: it was quieter, and in the event that they made mistakes, no one but them would know about it. Aside from that, Hinata had been unable to turn her sword "off," and the constant glow attracted more attention than she would've preferred (sheathing the sword only dimmed the glow so much).

Also, Sasuke had found that he handled his swords best at home. This was not, contrary to what he thought, because it was easiest to visualize slaying Itachi there.

It was simply because the two swords had failed to recognize him as their master, and so they were drawn to the spirit of the one who had last wielded them. And even though Shisui went everywhere that Sasuke did, he was most at home... well, at home, and the swords picked up on this.

They did not, thankfully, pick up on boredom, because if they had, Sasuke would undoubtedly be extremely angry at that moment.

Shisui was bored. This was not news: he'd been bored over sixty percent of his life, and that percentage had risen to eighty, now that he was dead. And now that Sasuke knew that he was always around, the young Uchiha was a bit more self-conscious about everything, especially being alone with his wife. Hinata had assured him that Shisui would never spy on them... and beyond the one time, when he'd been trying to get Sasuke's attention and tell him about the swords, she'd been right.

The trouble was that no one took the time to entertain the dead anymore. True, Shisui wouldn't have wanted live sacrifices to him or anything, and the statue was kind of nice, but beyond that, he was pretty much on his own. As for the other dead Uchiha, they had either chosen to pass on, or simply preferred other places and people. He could respect that, since most had been murdered there by one of their own, but it was still awfully lonely.

The only people he could really talk to were all women: Hanabi, Karura, and Hyuuga Hotaru. But Hanabi was busy, Karura was with Gaara, as always, and Hotaru had promised to stop by later and chat. Shisui wasn't good with chatting, but he liked Hotaru, and it wasn't as if he had much choice: either he would chat with her, or he would sit there and listen while she chatted. Hotaru was not a woman easily ignored, and death had only made her more persistent. Shisui thought it was the whole haunting aspect, which came naturally to them, though he would never say so.

Unfortunately, Hinata did not possess her sister's gift for detecting spirits, and without Hanabi around, there was no way to communicate. This meant that Sasuke was largely on his own in figuring out the swords, and without Shisui to guide him, there was no instruction manual. Raiden and Amekaze were not likely to be of much use to Sasuke until he became proficient in a third element: so far he was only good with fire and earth. Shisui had been able to cheat, as he'd had some talent for shadow manipulation and fire thanks to his unique clan heritage, and had apparently only needed to learn wind for the swords to recognize him.

Sasuke would not learn any of that until after he'd picked up the third element, though: it was a rule. From what Shisui understood, the swords had been embedded with some kind of genjutsu. Anyone they deemed unworthy simply forgot about them, and one could not use the swords without first knowing their names. Sasuke had already drawn a blank several times, and had eventually told Hinata the names so that one of them would always know. This only helped so much, because while Sasuke wasn't barred from using the swords anymore, he still didn't know how to control them.

Unfortunately, the Uchiha were not known for being patient... and truth be told, that was exactly why the Mangekyou Sharingan was so very rare. Who among them had the time or inclination to make a friend, much less one dear enough to summon the Mangekyou in death?

Sasuke looked like he was ready to give up for the day. But just before he could put the thought into words...

"Maybe one more try, Sasuke-kun?"

Shisui grinned as the expression on Sasuke's face went from annoyed to completely focused. To be honest, he had never thought being married so young could be a good thing. But in Sasuke's case, Hinata was exactly what he needed. She managed to be encouraging without allowing Sasuke to become entirely fixated on revenge. Had she been anyone else, it wouldn't have worked. But Hinata, too, knew the pain of being betrayed by family, although not to such a degree. She also knew that dwelling on that pain could consume anyone, especially someone who felt as if they had nothing left. That would not happen to Sasuke, because she was determined to convince him that, at the very least, he would always have her.

In other words, Sasuke was completely whipped. Hinata didn't tell him what to do... but she COULD, if the need ever arose. She generally let Sasuke do whatever he wanted, so long as he included her every now and then. Surprisingly, she rarely ever needed to ask: Sasuke was proud to have her as his wife, and though he wouldn't admit it, he enjoyed showing her off in public. Something about introducing her as Uchiha Hinata always put a superior smirk on his face. Shisui imagined it was his way of saying, "This one's MINE, so there." And Hinata would only smile and cling to Sasuke's arm, because they both knew it would only take a pout to send Sasuke running to please her.

It was a little odd, though. At this point, Hinata was more skilled with her one sword than Sasuke was with either of his two. But it was also impossible for him to be jealous, because Hinata would gladly give Sasuke anything she had. That was part of why he asked so little of her to begin with, but the rest was pure Uchiha pride. He was supposed to take care of her, and she was supposed to sit back and let him. And since Hinata had become an expert at taking care of Sasuke without his realizing it, it was not something they ever argued about.

Closing his eyes, Sasuke tightened his grip on the swords. As he whispered the swords' names, he also sent his chakra into the handles, trying to will them to respond. He did not need to open his eyes to know that there was no reaction. But instead of getting angry, Sasuke continued to pour his chakra into the swords, determined to get some result. Hinata had asked him to try, and he wasn't about to look anymore foolish than he had to in front of her (despite the fact that she claimed it was endearing).

At the moment that Sasuke became less concerned about making the swords work, and more concerned about what Hinata thought, Amekaze reacted, a concentrated stream of ice-cold water shooting out of the blade's tip.

Had Hinata not already been poised to block, she would've been soaked. Instead, she only had to duck behind her enlarged sword after planting it in the ground (and mentally thanking the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist for feeling they needed huge swords).

By the time Sasuke opened his eyes, the only water present was on the ground; the barrier around Hinata's sword did not even tolerate drops of water.

Hinata slowly peeked out at him, her eyes wider than usual. "Um, I think that's enough for today..."

"Really?" Sasuke asked, a smirk on his lips. "I was just thinking that I would thoroughly enjoy seeing you wet and shivering." He drove Raiden's blade into the ground, then advanced on her with Amekaze gripped in both hands.

A blush rose in Hinata's cheeks as she backed away. "Sasuke-kun, we still don't know what all that sword can do..." she murmured.

"You're right," he agreed, planting Amekage in the ground as well, without slowing down. "I guess I'll have to find another way to see you wet and shivering."

Hinata's entire face was red now. "We're supposed to be practicing," she pointed out feebly.

"And we will. We can practice restoring our clan, so that when the time finally arrives..."

"B-But you said we'd wait! You said it was best!"

"I am human, Hinata-chan," Sasuke replied as he reached out and took her into his arms. "I make mistakes. I have desires and needs. And most of all, I have you for my wife, and I sleep beside you every night. Are you really so shocked that I might change my mind about this?"

"No," she admitted as his lips grazed hers, "but I don't think we'll have time, anyway. We have company."

Before Sasuke could ask, he felt the familiar weight of something landing on his head. "Damn stupid bird," he growled as Hinata began to giggle.

"You shouldn't talk to Shizuka-chan that way," Hinata sighed, reaching up to gently stroke the bird's head with a finger. "She is a beautiful and wondrous creature."

"She's a damn stupid bird that only shows up to be fed when I'm about to do something thoroughly enjoyable," Sasuke insisted.

Hinata smiled. "Some would argue that's a sign of great intelligence. Perhaps she is your conscience."

"No, she isn't. She's a complete bother that only surfaces-"

"When you're about to do something that you perhaps shouldn't," Hinata interrupted. "Like I said, a conscience."

Sasuke glared at her. "I will not apologize for wanting you, Hinata-chan."

"And I would never ask you to, Sasuke-kun," she replied, giving him a peck on the lips. "While I do not expect our first time to be perfect, I do expect it to be exceptional. I think we both more than deserve that. And when the time is right, believe me, you'll be the first one I notify. Now, we should feed Shizuka-chan before she decides to snack on your hair again."

Muttering to himself, Sasuke held up his right index finger until the tiny thunderbird chick fluttered down to land on it. He then followed Hinata back into the house... but at a distance, just so she wouldn't hear his comments to the annoying beast.

"I loathe you," Sasuke hissed with as much venom as he could muster.

Shizuka merely cocked her head to the side in a curious way that anyone else might take to mean, "Yes, well, that's all fine and dandy, but you still have to feed me, you big jerk. Your wife said so."

But Sasuke knew better. What the bird was really saying was this: "Yes, well, I'm not exactly crazy about you, either, but your hair is absolutely delectable, and once your back is turned, I'm going to go all over your best clean shirt, because this is MY house, bitch."

Or something to that effect.

Because thunderbird chicks were totally evil. Of that, Sasuke was completely convinced.

* * *

_Gates of Konoha - May_

Usually, there were no less than twenty guards posted at any one of Konoha's entrances. But on this night, for one gate, there was only one guard... and he was not so much a guard as he was a greeter.

It had not been easy to convince the Sandaime to allow this, and in the end, Gaara had only been able to get the usual guard patrol lifted for an hour. Thankfully, the Hokage had also agreed to let the hour begin at Gaara's discretion.

The guards themselves did not ask questions. It was the graveyard shift, and if Gaara wanted to give them a break while he watched the gate, demon or no demon, they would take it. Even the ones who did hate him hoped that someone would sneak in on Gaara's watch.

All of them were under the impression that Gaara wanted to prove he was just as efficient as entire guard patrol. Not one of them stopped to consider that Gaara's main concern was letting someone in, not keeping them out.

Of course, Gaara himself didn't care what any of the guards thought as he waited at the gate. The only clear sign of his impatience was the miniature dust tornado circling his feet rapidly. Even if he'd had normal sleeping patterns, Gaara suspected they would've been disrupted this night. He was just that upset, though it had little to do with the waiting.

Finally, he sensed his guest approaching, or rather Shukaku did, and told Gaara as much through what he was starting to think of as the demonic equivalent of a brief bout of gas. It was easier that way, since Naruto had definitely arrived earlier the same day, and Shukaku apparently gave up on warning Gaara of this fact when nothing came of it. In fact, Gaara had gone out of his way to avoid running into Naruto, for now, at least. He'd had far too much on his mind already, and that was one confrontation he preferred to postpone until he wasn't quite so distracted.

Minutes later, a large hole opened up in the road, and three ninja climbed out. Their clothes were surprisingly clean, all things considered, and it was easy to identify them as Cloud-nin from the electric glow that lit up their headbands for easy viewing.

"I didn't expect you to wait for us, Gaara-san," the Cloud kunoichi said, managing a weary smile. "You really didn't have to."

Gaara considered telling her just how necessary he had thought it, but decided that would take too long. "It is good that you are here, Yugito-san." And that was true, because if Gaara had gone through all this trouble for nothing, he would've killed someone. Several someones, actually. Rather messily.

The smile dropped off of Yugito's face, and her eyes shone with concern. "I've caused trouble for you, haven't I? I'm sorry."

Gaara blinked. He hadn't expected an apology, not really. Not a genuine one. The few times he'd gotten one, it was usually out of fear of what he'd do when displeased. But Yugito was not afraid of him, and he wouldn't have been any more upset if she hadn't apologized. And yet the fact that she had, when she hadn't needed to, and meant it... it made Gaara feel much better about placing his trust in her.

"You have caused me far less trouble than I expected you to," Gaara answered after a few seconds, "but do not make me regret saying so."

"Was it that your Hokage didn't want to deal with another demon container?" Yugito guessed with a pained frown.

"No. I didn't tell him about that."

This answer was met with complete silence.

"But... why not?" Yugito asked a moment later, unable to keep the shock out of her tone. "I thought that was how you got him to agree to this!"

"No," Gaara replied. "I merely asked him to trust me." He lowered his head and closed his eyes. "I mislead the man who gave me control over my life. At the time, it was easy. I thought it was the best way to protect you. But ever since then... I wish I had thought of another way. I do not regret it... but I wish there had been another way..."

Yugito stepped closer and slid her arms around Gaara's neck, hugging him gently. "Thank you," she whispered softly.

Gaara had no idea how to react to this. He had always believed that he would have to fight and kill the other demon vessels, that Shukaku would drive him to do so. But once he'd gained control over Shukaku, and found that he could be content in Konoha, the instinctive urge to kill Naruto had faded to merely wanting to test his strength against the boy. Upon meeting Yugito, Gaara had dared to hope that he would never have to fight another of his kind. Despite the pain and loss she had suffered, Yugito was still able to smile and laugh as if she had never been hurt at all. She chose to help people, even if there was no immediate reward in it. She was the most human demon vessel he'd ever met.

And still Gaara felt he'd had to lie to the Sandaime. He firmly believed that the old man would've tried to help Yugito, if he'd known the truth. But the old man had also tried to help Naruto, and Gaara was not willing to allow Yugito to suffer the same fate through the Sandaime's good intentions. No, it was better this way, even if he was never able to look the old man in the eye again.

Anyway, he had a feeling that Yugito, Naruto, and everyone else like them had had enough of the human condition already.

There was a polite cough behind them. "Ah, Yugito-san, did you not say it was best to avoid being seen? Shouldn't we get inside quickly?"

Yugito sighed and released Gaara. "You're just self-conscious because you were dead, Haku-kun. It'll pass. And what have I told you about calling me that?"

Haku frowned. "You saved me. It's hard to forget."

"I'm not suggesting you forget. I'm suggesting you address me as your friend, not your savior. Or next time I might not save you at all, or at least not as quickly."

"She'll do it, too," the last boy said in a loud whisper, nudging Haku a little harder than he meant to.

"Haku is right," Gaara said suddenly. "You should be inside."

Yugito frowned. "Well, we didn't arrange anything with a hotel-"

"You'll be staying with my squad in the Uchiha compound. It's safer for everyone, and Hinata insisted."

"We don't want to impose," Haku said hesitantly.

Gaara gave him a long look. "If Hinata doesn't mind that you're no longer dead, I doubt she'll care where you sleep."

"Is there a big yard?" the other boy asked. "Yori likes to run around," he added, gesturing to the little white dog that suddenly appeared on his shoulder.

Gaara opened his mouth to answer, then found himself staring at the larger boy closely. Finally, he turned to Yugito. "This is... a friend of yours."

"He's in the family," Yugito confirmed with a nod. "Once or twice removed, that is."

Gaara blinked slowly. "That must be why Shukaku did not sense him."

Haku stared at them uncertainly. "Am I missing something?"

"Nah," the other boy replied. "He just wanted to know why it took him a while to realize I'm a demon vessel, too."

Yugito groaned loudly. "It's called subtlety for a reason, Kyojuu-kun..."

"So what? He doesn't care, and he's not gonna tell anyone."

"We are NINJA! You have to learn these things!"

Kyojuu shrugged. "You just tell me who to bust up, and I'll do it. That always works better."

Yorishiro immediately yipped her agreement.

Yugito sighed, unable to keep from smiling at the pair's faith in her judgment. "Fine, fine." She turned to Gaara, shaking her head. "We'll just follow you then, Gaara-san."

Gaara nodded and led the trio through the gate, being sure to signal the handful of guards that had remained nearby. He was not surprised when Yugito fell in step beside him.

"Have you seen Naruto?" she asked softly.

"No, I have only sensed him within the village today," Gaara replied. "There have been no incidents so far, which is surprising, all things considered. Either the Sandaime's enforcement methods are more effective, or Naruto himself is remaining calm."

"It's only been a day," Yugito reasoned. "Hatred like that doesn't just go away, Gaara-san. I think the incidents you spoke of will begin tomorrow, in earnest... and so will Naruto's retaliation. I hope you speak to him before that happens."

* * *

Naruto was having trouble sleeping, although not for any of the expected reasons.

As it turned out, the Hokage's grandson was not quiet whether awake or asleep, and that was just one of things Naruto found annoying about the brat. Another was that Konohamaru hadn't learned not to talk down to people who could easily kill him. And even though the Sandaime had honored the Sand Siblings by asking them to stay with his clan, Naruto had not been above giving the little brat a bloody nose within twenty seconds of meeting him. From there, they gotten into a fist fight, and while Konohamaru hadn't landed a single punch, he'd taken it like a man and hadn't cried at all. Naruto respected that, so he'd mostly left the kid alone after that. But they definitely didn't have to like sharing the brat's room.

After an hour of listening to Konohamaru snore, Naruto gave up on sleep and slipped downstairs, only to find a trio of bodyguards playing cards at the dining table. One of them he recognized as Kakashi, the very same jounin that had been there the night of the exchange. Another had introduced himself as Sarutobi Asuma, so he was part of the clan. As for the woman, Naruto had never seen her before, as far as he could remember, but more than likely she'd been one of the ANBU that had saved his life a few times, since he doubted the Sandaime would give this mission to anyone else.

"You should try to get some sleep, Naruto," Kakashi advised. "You're in for a long day tomorrow, I'd bet."

"You don't need to protect me," Naruto informed him calmly. "I can and will do that myself. All you need to worry about is saving the idiots from my wrath. Because the Naruto who put up with their crap is dead, has been for years. If Kyuubi is what they want, that's exactly what they'll get."

Kakashi sighed and put down his cards. "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be, Naruto."

Naruto smirked. "Yeah, I think you're forgetting what's on my headband. Sand-nin don't take shit from anyone. And in case you missed the statues, my secret is out. So anybody that's got issues had better deal with them elsewhere, because from this point on, all complaints will be directed to Kyuubi, and let me tell you, HIS human resource skills are pretty lacking."

Kakashi said nothing as Naruto walked out of the room. Then he shook his head, picked up his cards, and muttered, "Well, shit."

"Guess this means we don't have worry about anybody beating him up," Anko mused.

"We can't have him going for the throat of every villager that looks at him wrong, though," Asuma pointed out. "Are we absolutely sure that Yamato can keep him in line? I think suppressing demonic chakra, and suppressing the actual demon are two very different things, if Naruto really meant what he said."

Kakashi nodded. "Yamato is probably the only person in Konoha that could restrain that demon. Even the Sandaime admitted that dealing with Shukaku was only possible because Gaara resisted him. But from the sounds of it, Naruto and Kyuubi are working together. I don't think we ever really considered how bad that could be. But it's possible that mutual hatred of this village formed a bond between them, so we'd only have ourselves to blame."

"Hey, I never hated him," Anko snapped. "I had enough problems with people hating me, so I didn't have time to take it out on any one person all the time. Can you imagine how inconvenient that would've been? Having to track somebody down every time you wanted to vent?"

"You always seemed to manage it with me," Kakashi muttered playfully.

"Don't make me come over there, Scare Bear."

"Unfortunately, you're in the minority, Anko," Asuma reminded her. "I'm still amazed that Naruto would even come back to this place. I've seen the medical reports... and that's keeping in mind that Kyuubi healed hundreds more injures before the boy ever got near a hospital, and that the staff might have purposely overlooked many of his wounds. Every other moment of his life was nothing but pain."

"When you put it like that, there's only one reason he might come back," Anko grunted. "To burn this village to the ground." She looked up, noticing the blank expressions on Kakashi and Asuma's faces. "That was a joke."

No one laughed.

**End of Chapter 22. **

* * *

Next Chapter: Gaara and Naruto are reunited. Yugito meets with the Sandaime Hokage. Tsunade and Shizune run into Kabuto.

Endnotes:

Raiden: thunder and lightning

Amekaze: rain and wind

Shizuka: quiet

The reference to Satoshi is largely a joke, I wonder how many people will get it...

If you're trying to picture a mature thunderbird, just imagine the legendary Pokémon Zapdos, as that's where the idea came from.


	23. The Other Brother

Notes: Sorry the chapter is so long again. I think because I had so little time to write because of this last class I took, I subconsciously tried to make up for the wait though length.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 23: The Other Brother**

* * *

_Konoha - Ichiraku Ramen - May_

Naruto was in a fair mood. Which was to say he hadn't had to snap at anyone all day. He had done so, but he hadn't HAD to. About the worst he'd gotten so far was an older woman who had probably intended to call him a demon to his face. But she'd only gotten as far as "You dem-" when Hatake Anko threw a pie in her face.

The funny part was that Anko had been doing things like that all day, which had quickly won her a permanent spot on Naruto's list of the coolest ninja ever. Nothing could top her stabbing one obnoxious jounin in the butt with a dango skewer, though.

Even better, Anko didn't mind the public scorn she got for protecting him, or at least she said she didn't. "What do I care if they hate me for that today?" she'd asked. "They hated me for something else yesterday, and I'd bet you anything they'll find a new reason to hate me tomorrow. I figure I might as well get mission pay for it."

Temari had still insisted on having ramen for lunch, though, just in case Naruto wasn't in as good a mood as he seemed. Truthfully, he was just fine. Kyuubi was slightly disappointed that Anko and her fellow ninja were doing such a good job of keeping everyone away from Naruto. But the fox was quick to remind Naruto that if the Sandaime could spare enough ninja to do that now, he should've managed it when Naruto had truly needed the protection so long ago.

It was just another in the long list of strikes against the old man, and Naruto put it aside for the moment, on the growing list of grievances against Konoha. That was one thing Kyuubi was rather good at: justifying and recalling all of the reasons for Naruto's hatred, as that made it even easier to call on the fox's power. It wasn't as if Naruto would have time to recall them all in a fight, and having Kyuubi growl the reminders in his head worked twice as well as remembering on his own would've.

But all of that could wait until it was really time to cut loose. For now, Naruto was just taking advantage of Temari's worrying and pigging out on all the ramen he could eat. He had missed the distinctive flavor of ramen from Ichiraku, and considering what would soon happen to the village, he wasn't sure when he'd get another chance to taste it again.

Naruto had not forgotten about Ayame and her father when the invasion was in the planning stages, though. While he was certain that a pair of ramen chefs wouldn't matter to anyone else, he had given Meg and her sisters specific instructions that Ayame and her father (as well as their recipes) were to be kept safe at all costs. Meg had gone to the trouble of calling in favors with a few other kamaitachi squads, just so Naruto could summon them during the invasion. Kyuubi had even reluctantly introduced the idea of scent markers: all Naruto had to do was touch anyone he wanted spared, and the weasels would be able to track them down easily. He realized that the fox had only done this so Naruto wouldn't be distracted and leave himself open to attack, but he was still grateful.

Everything was taken care of.

And that only made the ramen tastier, impossible as that sounded.

"You sure eat a lot of ramen, Naruto-san," Hanabi observed from her seat next to his.

Naruto glanced at the Hyuuga girl and swallowed his mouthful of ramen. He still wasn't sure what to make of her. She was a little annoying at times, but rarely to him, and she was definitely useful. He hadn't known how useful until several of the ANBU guarding him had taken off their masks, revealing themselves to be members of the Hyuuga Branch House. Naruto wasn't certain if they were actual ANBU, though it was more likely they'd gotten permission to borrow the gear just for this mission. Either way, the impact was pretty noticeable: most people steered away from his escort. Hanabi herself was never more than a few feet from Naruto, sometimes going as far as to cling to his arm in a somewhat possessive manner. He wasn't sure if he liked that, but she was spunky, and he did like that.

"So what's your deal, Hanabi? Why do you care whether I live or die?" Naruto asked, gazing at her curiously.

"I try not to make a habit of judging people I haven't checked out for myself," Hanabi replied. "And now that I know you, I've decided I like you."

Naruto was glad there was nothing in his mouth at the moment, because he probably would've choked on it. "Uh, look, you seem like a nice girl and all, but I don't think-"

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Not THAT way. I meant that we're friends now. So that's why I care." She reached over and cupped his cheek gently. "Plus, I think your whiskers are cute."

Kankurou snorted into his cup loudly. Temari elbowed him hard out of reflex.

Despite his best efforts, Naruto could think of no way to respond as Hanabi let go of him. She was always doing things like that, and maybe if she were older, it would make more sense. But she was just a little girl, and probably the first one that had ever treated him like he was special... in a good way, that is. Sure, she was Hinata's sister, but even that wouldn't completely explain it. Naruto could only assume that Hanabi's friendship with Gaara had taught her something about treating a demon vessel more like a human. Something as simple as frequent physical contact was still new to Naruto, at least with anyone other than Temari and Kin.

"Naruto-san? Is something wrong?"

He blinked and looked up to find Hanabi staring at him. "Uh... no. Just thinking is all. And don't call me that if we're supposed to be friends. Makes me feel old."

Hanabi grinned at him. "If that's what you want... Naru nii-chan."

Naruto gaped at her. "Hey, you said we were friends! Where's this coming from?"

"You... don't want to be my big brother?" Hanabi whimpered, pouting as her eyes became huge and watery.

Naruto flinched away from her. "Okay, okay, I didn't mean it! Come on, don't cry!"

Hanabi was instantly all smiles again. "Okay!"

Kankurou blinked. "Damn, she's good. I almost felt like crap for a second."

"That part wasn't her," Temari snorted.

Naruto was still trying to figure out what Hanabi had just done to him when Kyuubi suddenly growled in his head.

"Hey, brat. Thought you might like to know that we've got company. Shukaku's vessel is headed straight for us."

Naruto was instantly on his feet. "Gaara..." he muttered, a sense of urgency rising in him. With no clear thought to what he was doing, Naruto darted out of the ramen bar, only to come face to face with the boy he'd been expecting all along. Kyuubi had failed to warn him that Gaara was not alone, however: Sasuke and Hinata were just behind him, looking more than a little alarmed at his sudden appearance.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Gaara said quietly, his face revealing nothing but his usual sternness. "I've been looking for you."

* * *

_Konoha - Hospital Records Room - May_

"I'm starting to think the poison registry hasn't been updated since we left, Tsunade-sama," Shizune murmured, shaking her head in disgust as she flipped through the thick book. "It's amazing they haven't had twice as many deaths if they've been using this old thing."

Tsunade's reply, if one could call it that, was a rather unladylike snore.

Shizune blinked and turned around to see her mentor slumped over a nearby desk, still clutching a small bottle of sake in one hand. Smirking, Shizune reached over to take the bottle, and was not the least bit surprised when Tsunade's fingers tightened around it, even in sleep. "You'll never change, Tsunade-sama," Shizune sighed, carefully tucking a stray strand of blond hair behind Tsunade's ear.

"Most people don't," said a voice in her ear.

To her credit, Shizune only needed an instant to have three poisoned senbon at her fingertips. In that instant, however, her opponent had already managed to grab her wrist in an iron grip, making the needles fall uselessly to the floor.

"Oh, you've gotten slow on me, nee-san," the voice teased. "We'll have to work on that."

Shizune's eyes widened, and she turned her head slightly to find a very familiar face grinning at her. "Kabu-kun...?" she whispered in disbelief.

Kabuto released her captured wrist and adjusted his glasses, more out of habit than need. "I honestly didn't expect to see you so soon, but when I found out you two were lurking down here, I thought I'd stop by and say hello." He bent down to carefully retrieve her senbon. "Hmm. I don't know this poison. Is it new?"

"Just made it yesterday," Shizune replied blankly. "Kabuto, what... what are you doing here? The last time I saw you, you were-"

"Serving Orochimaru," he answered. "I remember."

"You'd better!" Shizune snapped, suddenly regaining her spirit. "It nearly broke our hearts when you did that!"

"It wasn't as easy as you seem to think it was," Kabuto pointed out. "I asked you to come with me. I never thought you'd say no."

"How could you ever have expected me to work for the man that broke Tsunade-sama's heart?"

"What I remember," Kabuto said slowly, carefully, "was that she gave me her blessing, however reluctantly. So even if you can't forgive him, she's at least moved on. Not everything is about love, nee-san."

"No, just the really important things," Shizune whispered.

"I didn't come here to fight with you. I hoped we could just put the past behind us for a while. Aren't you at all happy to see me?"

"You know I am. But I'm still mad at you."

"Fair enough." Kabuto closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm glad I got to see you again, nee-san. Really."

Shizune forced a pained smile. "I know, Kabu-kun. But maybe you should go before Tsunade-sama wakes up. She won't be nearly as nice as I was."

"I remember that, too," he agreed, rubbing his jaw. Tsunade had always liked to punch him there, and even now it still ached occasionally, despite his best efforts to heal it completely.

But Kabuto was nothing if not a born, bold risk taker. Shizune knew that, so she made no move to stop him as he walked over to the desk, leaned down, and gently kissed the top of Tsunade's head. "Another time, okaa-san," he whispered before straightening up and looking at Shizune expectantly. "Would it be too much to expect a hug, nee-san?"

It would've been better for all involved if she'd just hit him. Kabuto would come around less (less than he already did, anyway), Shizune wouldn't think about him as much, and Tsunade would stop threatening to kill him the next time she saw him.

And yet, in moments like these, all Shizune could see was the thin, smiling boy who had saved her life and cursed her forever at the same time.

She embraced him, briefly and tightly, before pushing him away. But not before she felt the familiar sensation of his lips against her forehead.

Then Kabuto was gone without a trace, and Shizune was left to wonder just how much better than her he had become while in Orochimaru's service. She hadn't sensed him coming or going, and what that meant truly worried her.

Her thoughts came to abrupt end as the small bottle in Tsunade's hand shattered, coating the medic-nin's hand with shards, and trace amounts of sake and blood. "Tsunade-sama?" Shizune gasped in alarm.

Tsunade "awoke" instantly, sitting up and frowning deeply. Clearly she had not been sleeping at all, or at least not while Kabuto had been in the room. "What are you gaping at, Shizune?" she demanded coldly. "Get back to work."

"But, Tsunade-sama, your hand..."

"It's not poison, Shizune," Tsunade snapped. "I'll live."

Shizune bit her lip, but nodded and slowly sank back into her seat, staring at the outdated poison registry. And froze.

The latest entry was only seconds old, the ink still drying. It was Shizune's poison, the one she'd just invented. Every detail was correct. But that was impossible, because no one else knew the details.

"Kabu-kun," she whispered, her voice trembling. Had he really identified her poison with just a glance? She knew he was talented, and learned quickly, but that particular skill bordered on telepathy. Which begged the question of just what Kabuto had learned from the Snake Sannin, and what else he knew that he hadn't shown her yet.

* * *

For a long moment, Naruto and Gaara simply stared at each other in tense silence. Neither seemed to know what to do next, although they had both clearly been expecting this day.

Then Temari emerged from the Ichiraku curtain. "Naruto, why did you-" She trailed off, her eyes nearly doubling in size. "Gaara?" she whispered in shock.

Temari's presence seemed to make up Naruto's mind. "I've been looking for you, too, Gaara," he said calmly, closing the distance between them with just a few steps.

Sasuke tensed, expecting an attack. Hinata just stared blankly.

Gaara wasn't entirely sure what he expected to happen, either, but the stopper on his gourd loosened a fraction, just in case.

Naruto stopped directly in front of Gaara... and hugged him.

It was, by far, probably the most awkward thing any of them had ever seen. Gaara's expression did not change in the least, and Naruto felt like he was hugging a corpse, but suspected that would've actually been more comfortable. At least a corpse couldn't try to kill him afterwards.

"Why," Gaara stated, so quietly that no one but Naruto could hear him.

"For my... no, OUR sister," Naruto answered.

Gaara's gaze slid over to Temari, who hadn't moved since she'd spoken his name. "Agreed," he muttered, though he made no move to return the embrace. This was a good thing, because if Gaara had hugged Naruto, it would've only made them both even more uncomfortable.

Naruto released Gaara and took a few steps back.

Gaara nodded at him, and then advanced on Temari... who instinctively took a step back. Thankfully, Gaara took the hint and stopped.

"Temari," he said evenly. "I won't hurt you again. Shukaku has been properly sealed. I am in control now."

"It's true," Hinata added, worried that Temari might not believe him.

"Shukaku wouldn't have let me hug him," Naruto pointed out... even though Gaara just barely had.

Temari swallowed noisily and slowly stepped forward. "But... your eyes..."

"I still can't sleep," Gaara admitted. "But that is all Shukaku can do, until I say different." He extended his hand to her. "Temari... I can be your brother again. If you will allow me to."

That was all the proof Temari needed; Shukaku had only ever been interested in people that could help him manipulate Gaara, and her power to do that had been fleeting at best. But to hear Gaara speaking of the time before Shukaku had taken him over, it just proved that the demon was no longer in control. Shukaku would never care about anything that didn't relate directly to himself and his greed.

Temari didn't take Gaara's hand, though. She had waited far too long, and worried far too much over the fate of her lost brother. With no warning, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

Gaara closed his eyes, and sensing it was appropriate now, slowly wrapped his arms around Temari's waist. It was not quite like holding Ayame, but certainly just as pleasant. It felt... right.

Naruto was starting to feel a little left out, but he wasn't about to interrupt and risk Gaara's wrath. He knew from experience that Temari was a great hugger, so it wouldn't be fair to butt in. Besides, Gaara was deprived enough as it was.

"You found yourself a family, Naruto-kun," Hinata said happily. "Good for you."

"Speaking of family, I think we need to talk about yours, Hinata," Naruto replied.

Almost on cue, Hanabi zipped through the Ichiraku curtain and latched onto Naruto's hand.

"It's bad enough you're stuck with Sasuke for life, but now your little sister just attaches herself to people she barely even knows."

Hinata smiled warmly. "Hanabi is an unusually good judge of character. She chose you, didn't she?"

Naruto laughed weakly, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, but I don't think-"

"You don't need to worry, Naru nii-chan," Hanabi chirped, swinging his arm back and forth playfully. "You're family now!"

At this, Sasuke coughed loudly, glaring at both of them.

Naruto scowled at him. "I don't like it any more than you do. Why'd you have to go and marry Hinata, anyway? Now she'll never find a nice guy like she deserves."

"Now why would you say something stupid like that to me, knowing I'm not a nice guy?" Sasuke demanded, his eyes blazing red.

"Kick his butt, Naru nii-chan!" Hanabi cheered.

Hinata sighed. "Hanabi-chan, you're not helping at all..."

Temari watched this all, torn between amusement and worry. "Is it always like this with them?" she asked, touching Gaara's shoulder.

Gaara did not answer right away, more than a little distracted by her hand on his shoulder. It didn't bother him like he thought it would, and it was in fact comforting to know that Temari no longer feared him. "No. Usually Hinata is able to calm Sasuke before he comes to blows with anyone. Usually."

"Well, um... aren't you going to stop them? Naruto really shouldn't be attacking Leaf-nin before the exams officially start. He's already on thin ice for roughing up the Hokage's grandson."

Gaara was actually more interested in seeing how Sasuke would do against Naruto, but he hadn't missed the pleading tone in Temari's voice. Frowning, he merely glanced at Hanabi, who clearly got the message.

Naruto was glaring at Sasuke and flexing his fingers, debating whether he should just punch the Uchiha, or lace his fist with Kyuubi's chakra for extra impact, when Hanabi suddenly hopped on his back, pulled something from his neck, and ran off down the street.

"Hey, what... NARUTO! I'M BEING WEASEL-NAPPED!" Meg shouted as Hanabi giggled and waved at Naruto. The weasel only became more frantic when she saw where Hanabi was headed: a nearby doll shop that suddenly seemed as ominous as it was curiously located.

"Ah, damn," Naruto groaned. He knew Meg could get loose on her own, but doing so would draw attention that they didn't want. "We'll finish this later, teme," he said to Sasuke. "Hinata, uh... better luck finding a guy next time, huh?" He shrugged and took off after Hanabi.

"There won't BE a next time!" Sasuke shouted after him, barely suppressing the urge to shake his fist. He was starting to recall why he had never missed Naruto. For one thing, it had been beneath Sasuke to associate with pranksters, and for another, Naruto and Kiba had been the first to make the supposed connection between Sasuke's hair and... birds. He'd never really gotten over that. Plus, he'd caught Hinata actually praying for Naruto, even well after they'd gotten married. Sasuke had been jealous, at first, but once Hinata explained it to him, he'd just decided that he didn't like it.

So while Sasuke didn't hate Naruto, the very mention or sight of the blond Sand-nin put him in a bad mood. He wasn't worried about Hinata betraying him, or even Naruto trying to steal her away. What bothered Sasuke was that Hinata and Naruto weren't even friends (or at least not good ones), and yet she insisted on defying his wishes on the matter. It was a small offense (even calling it an offense seemed an exaggeration at times), but one that Sasuke could not let go, so long as Hinata's attitude toward Naruto remained unchanged.

The size of Hinata's heart had always been something of a fault in Sasuke's eyes, yet it was also one of the many reasons he loved her. He could not understand why Hinata had to be concerned for a blond idiot, but then, Sasuke had never figured out why Hinata stayed with him. If there was one thing the Uchiha were not known for possessing, it was loveable qualities, but Hinata had found them in him. Maybe there was also something in Naruto only her eyes could see, and if she could've explained it to Sasuke, he probably wouldn't have cared if she worried over Naruto.

Maybe it was the simple fact that Hinata didn't trust he would understand her reasoning that truly bothered Sasuke. It wasn't as if he was a complete stranger to the feelings of his wife.

He put up with Hanabi for her, didn't he? He refrained from letting Kikyou attack the few hardcore fangirls that insisted on stalking him even now, and only because Hinata had asked him not to. Sasuke had even seen through Hinata's polite facade upon seeing Haku alive again, and had point blank forbidden Yugito's team from bringing any currently dead bodies into their home (Yugito, Haku, AND Kyojuu all being formerly dead was bad enough). Kyojuu had laughed loudly, Haku had been completely red-faced, and Yugito had asked if that included half-dead bodies, just to get a rise out of him. Hinata had accused him of being very rude, but he hadn't missed the relief in her eyes.

She never talked about Zabuza, but he had died messily right in front of her, and while Gaara had done worse, that time it had only been Hinata and a sword present. On some level, she felt she had killed Zabuza even before the sword became hers, which technically made Zabuza her first kill. Killing had always been Gaara's job on missions. Even Sasuke had only severely burned flesh or broken bones. It wasn't that he couldn't kill, it was just that Gaara had a talent for it, and in some cases, even seemed to enjoy it, so why mess up a good thing?

It was almost funny, how they'd become known as "Gaara's death squad" among their peers. Granted, Gaara had amassed more than enough kills for three skilled ninja on his own, so the figures weren't a lie, just the idea that Sasuke and Hinata had body counts as well was. Sasuke didn't mind being mistaken as a coldblooded killer. It had scared off some of the fangirls, and many boys who once would've tried to prove themselves in a fistfight against the last Uchiha. Sasuke lacked the patience to deal with either, so this didn't bother him in the least.

* * *

_Konoha - Hokage's Office - May_

Haku had perhaps the simplest role in Yugito's team: he was to stand there, usually escaping notice entirely. This was partially accomplished by his saying nothing unless he was spoken to, but was mostly due to the fact that Kyojuu took up far more space than either of them, and was impossible to overlook.

At any rate, Haku was happy with his role. Yet, even though he knew it was unlikely, in the back of his mind, he still feared someone would sense that he had been dead once, even if they'd never met him before. Yugito and Kyojuu both assured him that this feeling would pass, but Haku thought the process might go a bit faster if he didn't have to try and fool people. Granted, he had yet to meet anyone who expected people to come back to life, so it had never come up in conversation, but stranger things had happened in many Hidden Villages, and Konoha was no exception.

On the other hand, there was a big difference between fooling the citizens of Konoha, who eyed them with only passing interest, and the Sandaime Hokage, who had politely demanded (Haku hadn't known anyone could do that, but the old man made it clear that he expected them in his office for questioning). Yugito's policy of not wearing their headbands during downtime had served them well so far. People assumed they were tourists (especially Kyojuu, who looked out of place everywhere he went), and this was true enough, as Yugito was very interested in learning all she could about Konoha.

The Sandaime Hokage was not a citizen. He was a powerful and skilled shinobi, had been one for decades, and trying to pass themselves off as mere tourists in front of him was, in a word, insulting. And the situation was tense enough as it was.

So the moment they entered his office, Yugito had put on her Cloud headband, and Kyojuu and Haku had done the same.

For his part, the Hokage looked a little startled. He obviously hadn't seen such headbands in some time, but he recovered quickly. "I appreciate your honesty, and I hope that it will persist for at least the rest of our little... conversation."

Interrogation was a better word, though. There was one other person in the office: a scarred, frowning man whose cold eyes followed Yugito as she stood before the Hokage's desk. Haku realized why immediately: the man had already figured out that Yugito was the leader of their team. And while Yugito could take care of herself, Haku felt that this man could make things a lot more difficult for all of them. A distraction was in order.

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Hokage-sama, but there is something you should know about me," Haku said in a rush.

The old man turned to him curiously. "Yes, what is it?"

"I was once Momochi Zabuza's apprentice."

Amazingly, the Hokage chuckled. "That is an impressive claim. My files tell me that person is dead."

Haku shrugged. "I am impressed myself. I thought myself dead once, but Yugito-san disagreed quite strongly, and here I am. She saved my life."

"Something she is quite good at, apparently," the Sandaime agreed.

Yugito smiled. "It's just that I've lost people close to me before. I took steps to make sure that it never happened again. I've saved many lives with these hands, but only because I got sick of losing countless more." She paused and sighed. "Anyway. You want to know why Gaara trusts me. If Konoha can afford to trust me."

"I am glad you understand my position," the Hokage said calmly. "I am responsible for this village, and every life in it."

"A friend of mine told me the same thing, right after he tried to kill me," Yugito murmured with a strange smile. "He was sorry afterwards, of course, but he thought he was doing the best thing for his village. Sometimes I do, too. So I guess being Raikage is really no different from being Hokage."

"Nah. Air's calmer here," Kyojuu pointed out. "No lightning."

The Sandaime coughed. "Yes, well... I'm afraid I will need more information than that."

"Thought so," Yugito replied, turning to her larger teammate. "Kyojuu-kun, you remember that box I asked you to put away for me? I need it back now."

The fingernails on Kyojuu's hands grew into long, curved claws, which he used to prick his hands before he thrust them through the floor without a sound. When his hands emerged, they were wrapped around a large black box.

The silent man beside the Hokage immediately tensed.

"Calm yourself, Ibiki," the Sandaime ordered. He turned to Yugito with an unreadable expression. "We have seen similar techniques before. Your friend is a Rock-nin."

"He was once," Yugito admitted. "Now he is dead to them. And by that I mean they wanted very much to kill him, which is why he left. That was years ago."

"Very well," the Hokage replied. "What is in the box?"

"Among other things, a scroll signed by the Yondaime Raikage, stating that I am no longer a Cloud-nin, nor am I listed as a missing-nin. I left my former village with his permission... eventually. That was also years ago. In that box you will also find something that was taken from you some time ago. I was hoping to use it as a sort of bribe."

The Sandaime peered into the box, his eyes widening. "That is..."

"The sword of the Nidaime Hokage," Yugito answered. "Unknowingly stolen by Morino Idate, who helped us obtain it. Don't worry, the one who actually stole it is very much dead."

"You're just... giving it back?" Ibiki asked in surprise.

"I've been around lightning all my life," Yugito answered. "I suppose it just doesn't have the same value to me. Anyway, I've never had a problem making my own, so I don't need it. This is where it belongs."

Kyojuu carefully placed the box on the Hokage's desk and stepped back.

"What is it that you want of me, exactly?" the Sandaime asked.

"As I told you," Yugito said, "my teammates and I have no affiliation with any of the Hidden Villages we once called home. What I am asking is that, for the duration of the chuunin exams, you allow us to participate as a team of Cloud-nin. You should feel no obligation to promote any of us, however. That is not our purpose."

"Then I would have to know what your purpose is," the Hokage responded.

"I need to talk to Uzumaki Naruto," Yugito stated. "I know something that he needs to know."

The Sandaime froze, but only for an instant. "And that is?"

"That he is being hunted," Yugito said softly, "and without the information that I possess, his coming here might be the end of him."

* * *

_Konoha -Training Area - May_

It had taken some effort on his part, but Naruto was finally alone.

Well, alone in the sense that he only had Hanabi, Meg (still the Hyuuga girl's unwilling prisoner), and a handful of Branch House Hyuuga in full ANBU gear shadowing him from a good distance. Temari and Kankurou were catching up with Gaara at the Uchiha compound. Well, Temari was. Kankurou had barely given Gaara a second glance. And once Anko had told Naruto where he could find Kiba, she had happily excused herself to go and get drunk. Naruto wasn't quite sure how to feel about one of his bodyguards being drunk, but Anko had promised that she was twice as fun (and twice as dangerous) when drunk, and from all appearances, she was an expert in both areas, so he hadn't questioned her on it.

Naruto felt sort of obligated to go and see Kiba. He didn't want his old friend getting the wrong idea, knowing the dog-boy would've picked up his scent on Sakura. Kiba had always been the possessive type, and Naruto doubted that even Sakura could change that him.

He found Kiba and Akamaru in one of the older training areas, oddly enough, just sitting on the sidelines and watching others train. Naruto was confused by this as he knelt behind some nearby bushes, until he saw who was training. Slowly, a detailed picture began to form in his head, aided largely by the scents and postures that Kyuubi was picking up from the group.

There were Sakura and a boy Naruto remembered as Shikamaru, both radiating concern and hesitance, even as they launched attacks at the girl they were worried about. Shikamaru hung back, attacking with his shadow, and Sakura was all over the place, darting forward to throw rapid punches and kicks, then rolling away so smoothly it was like she was sliding across ice.

The blond girl was... different. There were several scents coming off of her: determination, fear, anger, frustration, and joy all at once. From the way she would smile each time she was able to avoid or turn back a blow, Naruto could tell that she was working her way back from some sort of mishap, and that her progress pleased her. But the way she would flinch each time Sakura got close was telling. Whatever she was coming back from, it still bothered her.

On the other hand, Sakura was STRONG, and not just for a girl, either. Naruto was pretty sure even he would've been left dazed by some of her hits. The blond girl was nowhere near as strong as Sakura, so she wisely avoided those when she could. But she also wasn't making any attempt to attack, so maybe the goal here was just to stay standing.

She was doing well, but she was tiring fast. This pace was too much for her, and not just for her. Shikamaru was sweating pretty good, too. Sakura looked like she could go all day if she had to, and Naruto was certain that came from keeping up with Kiba. They were a good match, he decided on the spot: Sakura would keep Kiba in line, and Kiba would never leave her (possibly for fear of being beaten within an inch of his life if he tried, but still).

It happened quickly. The blond girl started focusing too much on where Sakura would come from next, and seemed to forget about Shikamaru's shadow. In an instant, the shadow slipped behind her, and she was trapped. And that was when all hell broke loose.

At first, Naruto thought the blond girl was just babbling fearfully. Then her chakra spiked, and he felt something fly past his head. She was firing off genjutsu like bullets, not caring where they went or who they hit. Kiba and Akamaru dove for cover behind the log they'd been sitting on, while Sakura danced between the attacks just long enough to grab Shikamaru and drag him behind the log as well.

With Shikamaru's hold over her gone, the blond girl stopped, for the moment.

But the instant Shikamaru's head peeked over the log, he got hit right between the eyes.

Naruto had never seen the genjutsu before, but he could tell it was a nasty one. Shikamaru screamed and hit the ground twitching, then began slapping at random parts of his body desperately. Every few seconds, his voice would break into a high-pitched scream of agony.

"Damn," Kyuubi growled in an appreciative tone. "I like her. Getting stabbed that many times is never fun, unless you're the one doing it."

"Yeah, but if she doesn't stop, she'll fry his brain," Naruto muttered.

There was a blur of pink, and then Sakura slapped the blond girl so hard that they both stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Ino, what... what did you do?" Sakura whispered in horror.

Naruto was gaping, and he knew it, but he couldn't help it. The stabbing had only been in Shikamaru's mind. But cuts had opened up all over his body, and the blood flowing from them was all too real.

"I take it back: I'm in love," Kyuubi chuckled darkly.

Naruto ignored the fox as he jumped out of the bushes and ran to Shikamaru. A quick chop to the back of the neck sent Shikamaru into merciful sleep; the pain had to be driving him mad. The blood continued to flow, but it would be easier to help him, now that he wasn't fighting.

"Hey!" Kiba shouted angrily as he charged straight at Naruto. "Who the hell are you, and what the fuuuh?" He came to a complete stop and sniffed carefully, his eyes widening. "No way. That really you, Naruto?"

Akamaru ran past Kiba and leaped onto Naruto's shoulder, licking his face furiously.

Naruto laughed weakly as he pulled Akamaru off and set him on the ground. "Nice to see you guys, but I assume you don't want your friend to die, right?"

Kiba frowned. "Really? She got him that good?"

"No, just trying to get your attention back where it should be. Hospital still in the same place?"

The dog-boy winced, obviously recalling that Naruto was all too familiar with Konoha's hospital. "Yeah..."

"Good." He bent down and started to pick Shikamaru up.

"Don't, Naruto-kun," said a soft, familiar voice at his ear.

Naruto looked up in surprise to see Sakura kneeling next to him. "Why not, Sakura-chan? We can't just let him-"

"I meant, let Kiba take him to the hospital," Sakura explained patiently.

"But I can-"

"Naruto-kun," Sakura murmured softly, a pained look in her eyes. "Think about what would happen if you showed up at the hospital, carrying Shikamaru in this condition."

Naruto started to speak, then swallowed hard. She was right. People would instantly assume that he had attacked Shikamaru. Then he froze. How much did Sakura know about the real him? Before he could ask, Sakura reached over and gently squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I know you only wanted to help. But sometimes, you have to be smart, instead of decent. Kurenai-sensei taught me that."

Sighing, Naruto watched as Kiba carefully picked up Shikamaru and ran off. It didn't escape his notice that as fast as Kiba was, Naruto could move faster, even while carrying Shikamaru. Hopefully, Shikamaru's fate wouldn't depend too much on Kiba moving inhumanly fast.

"He scared me."

Naruto blinked at the unfamiliar voice behind him and turned his head. The blond girl was still standing in the same spot, a haunted look on her face.

"I knew it was him... but I didn't. It was all so fast, and I just..."

"Ino." Sakura slowly stood up and approached her friend. "This is a sign. We're doing too much. You're not ready. We should just take it easy from now on."

"But I just need to-"

Sakura shook her head. "It could be me or Kiba next time. Or your father. Or someone else you love. Ino... we have to stop."

Ino looked like she wanted to protest, but then her gaze landed on some of the blood Shikamaru had left behind. Her face grew pale, and then she turned away and emptied her stomach quite loudly.

Sakura silently walked over and held Ino's hair out of her face, gently rubbing her back.

Naruto watched them, feeling a little torn. He should've been helping Sakura... but he also wanted to ask Ino how she'd made her genjutsu real like that. Then again, she'd probably never done it before, since no one had been expecting what happened to Shikamaru. Still, that girl had an amazing talent.

And despite the fact that it was drenched in sweat, or even because of it, her figure didn't look too bad, either.

Naruto quickly shoved that thought away, glad for the distraction when Akamaru nuzzled against his hand. Kin wasn't here, but he wasn't about to cheat on her. For one thing, she'd kill him when she found out, and for another, Ino clearly had too much going on in her life already.

But Ino DID have a nice figure, and... was Kyuubi laughing in his head?

"Dammit, fox! Stop putting thoughts in my head!" Naruto hissed under his breath.

"It's your thoughts and your head," Kyuubi snorted between laughs. "I just refreshed your memory is all."

Akamaru drew back a little, letting out a questioning whine as Naruto seemed to be fighting with himself. He got enough of that with Sakura.

Thankfully, Sakura was too busy tending to Ino, and Ino was too busy being sick, so neither of them noticed Naruto until he walked over. "Uh, is she gonna be okay?"

Sakura glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled faintly. "I think so. Thanks for your help, Naruto-kun. But, um, maybe you should go? We don't want anyone trying to connect you to this."

Naruto almost told her he had witnesses, in the form of the Hyuuga who had to have seen everything. But then he realized that they would almost certainly have to inform the Hokage anyway, and that meant the blame would fall squarely on Ino's shoulders... unless he did something about this first.

"Maybe... maybe they should," he said quietly. "I get the feeling that Ino wasn't really supposed to be training with you guys. She'd get in a lot of trouble if this got out, right?"

A little of the color drained out of Sakura's face. "Yeah, but... we can't just let you do that for us..."

"But if I don't do it, what's going to happen to her?" Naruto countered. "You need me to take the blame for this, Sakura-chan. You're just too afraid to ask. So I won't make you do it in the first place."

Sakura's green eyes welled up with tears. "But you don't even know her..."

"No, I don't. But she's your friend, and she needs help. That's all I need to know. We just need to make this thing a little more convincing, and fast." With that, Naruto raced around the field with chakra-laced claws, leaving deep gouges in any surface that seemed like it would make good evidence: tree bark, large rocks, even the ground in some cases. Of course, they wouldn't match Shikamaru's wounds at all, but Naruto had a feeling that if his name were involved, few people would bother to check before pronouncing him guilty.

By the time he was done, Ino had stopped throwing up, and was staring at him. She didn't seem scared, just curious.

"Are you related to Kiba?" she finally asked.

"No, but we used to hang out," Naruto admitted as his claws turned back into fingernails.

"Oh. I've never seen Akamaru go to anyone outside of Kiba's family."

Naruto found this comment odd at first, since Akamaru was currently sitting in Sakura's lap, his tail thumping happily against her leg as she scratched behind his ears. Then it occurred to him that maybe Ino, and perhaps even Kiba's family, already considered Sakura an Inuzuka, just... a little smaller. And with pink hair.

The thought made him smile for some reason.

"Oh! I should take Ino home," Sakura said suddenly. "Naruto-kun, do you have somewhere where... well, that people won't think to look for you?"

That suddenly reminded Naruto that he probably needed to warn Kabuto immediately of the mess he'd just gotten the Sand into. And Hanabi probably knew plenty of places to hide him.

"Yeah. Are you sure Ino's gonna be okay, though?"

Ino frowned, clearly not liking the way he was talking about her like she wasn't there, or at least not all there, which was even more insulting.

"She's fine, now that she's calmed down," Sakura replied. But she looked as if she were only saying that because Ino was right there.

"Oh. Well, I'll just get lost then." Naruto waved and then dove back into the bushes, but he was still able to hear the last bit of conversation between Ino and Sakura.

"So that's the Naruto you've been talking about all this time, Sakura? I thought he'd be louder."

"He's changed," Sakura replied, in a way that was both wistful and a compliment. At least, Naruto thought it was.

Grinning, he made his way over to the next clearing, where Hanabi and the ANBU escort were waiting. Meg was still reluctantly draped around Hanabi's neck, and the weasel shot Naruto a dirty look to let him know that she did not appreciate being a child's plaything.

"You know I'm not going to let you take the fall for this," Hanabi said at once.

The grin dropped off of Naruto's face. "But-!"

"It's very noble, what you tried to do," Hanabi went on. "But you're risking your spot in the chuunin exams, Naru nii-chan. So is Ino. But in your case, it could mean war. That's why I think we should tell Sandaime-sama exactly what happened together. Maybe he won't bar Ino from the exams. He might even know a way to help her. After all, there's no jutsu in this village that he doesn't know."

"You're a little too smart for a kid," Naruto said at last.

"And you're a little too dumb for a genin," Hanabi replied with an impish smile, "so it works out nicely."

"Yeah, it... HEY!"

* * *

_Fire Country - May_

The members of Akatsuki were not human. Kurenai readily accepted that now.

They were machines. Machines stronger, faster, and possibly more insane than any ninja that had ever drawn breath.

Amazingly, this had not sunken in until the group started moving in a hurry. Impossible as it sounded, Sasori and Kisame, easily the two largest members, seemed to be the fastest, or at least they were always ahead of Itachi and Deidara by a step or two.

Not that it mattered. Kurenai hadn't been able to keep up with any of them.

There was any number of explanations for this.

They trained harder. She had only recently become a jounin. The dismissal of human limitations was part of Akatsuki's initiation process.

Whatever the reason, Kurenai had her pride, both as a woman and a ninja.

So when Kisame doubled back, plucked her from the ground, and tossed her onto his back, Kurenai did the only thing she could do: she hung on. She was a ninja first, and a woman second. At least, she would have to be with this crowd.

Although it hurt to see that Kisame was STILL outpacing Itachi and Deidara, even with her on his back. If she ever got out of this alive, she was going to train with Guy for a month, or until her legs fell off, whichever came first.

"Don't take it so hard, Kurenai. If you were able to keep up with me, you'd have much bigger problems. For example, we would be hunting you."

Kurenai was less concerned that Kisame was apparently trying to comfort her, and more worried that she'd just heard his voice inside of her head. She knew they could all communicate through astral projection, but she had seen nothing that would indicate anyone other than Itachi could possibly read minds. "I would prefer it if you didn't do that anymore, Kisame," she replied in the same manner, gritting her teeth.

Naturally, Kisame laughed into her head. "I can't read your mind, you know. I might be exceptional, but I have yet to see a man who could do that with any woman. I can only project my thoughts into your mind. And you should be very glad that I can, because right now it's one of the few things keeping you alive."

"Why ARE you keeping me alive?" Kurenai asked, frowning. "I'm positive you don't really need me for whatever you're planning."

"Akatsuki definitely doesn't," Kisame agreed, "but I already owe that bastard Gohan, and I'm not going to let him hold anything else over my head. You have no idea how big a nuisance that monkey can be when he's pissed. Hell, he's a pest when he's in a good mood."

"So Akatsuki doesn't need me, but you do? Is that what you're telling me?"

"I'm telling you that I have no intention of killing you, and that I'll keep Itachi from doing the same. But don't go do anything stupid, like think you have the benefits of full membership, or get it into your head that you could actually beat any of us, or try to escape. I won't kill you, but I think I could convince Gohan that throwing you through a tree was both necessary and merciful."

Kurenai had no idea what to say to that, so she said nothing.

"Starting to rethink your deal with Gohan, huh?" Kisame chuckled.

"No," she replied slowly. "It's just... you're not a mindless killer, Itachi actually seems... sane when I talk to him, and I'm practically a missing-nin about to betray my village. I'm just wondering, in the long run, what else I was wrong about..."

* * *

_Konoha - Ninja Academy - May_

"This is really neat! I wish I had been able to go to the Ninja Academy in my village."

The Sandaime Hokage blinked in surprise as he watched Yugito scramble up to the top of the new jungle gym he'd had installed outside of the first-year classrooms. Obviously, it was a bit more complex than usual, as it was meant to help the children stay flexible. And while it had been well received, both among the children and their parents, he'd never seen anyone take to it quite as fast or as energetically as Yugito had.

"You didn't attend a Ninja Academy?" he asked.

"Nope. It wasn't really safe," Yugito informed him, hanging upside down by her legs. "The Yondaime Raikage handled all my training personally. He was a lot like you, just older and, um... rounder."

"This is the same man who tried to kill you?"

"It wasn't his fault," she sighed. "He thought my leaving was dangerous, for both me and the village. Also, he didn't want to let me go. He practically raised me, and he didn't have any kids, so we were pretty close. But when he saw that I was willing to die in order to leave, he didn't have much choice."

The story sounded far too similar to how Naruto had eventually left Konoha... and, the Sandaime noticed with some concern, it wasn't the only thing Yugito had in common with Naruto. Certainly a Kage had to be concerned when one of his ninja tried to abandon the village, but from the sounds of it, Yugito had been so important to the Cloud that the Raikage would rather see her dead than fighting for anyone else. And to handle the matter personally... it only indicated that Yugito was far more powerful than she appeared to be.

Perhaps what bothered him most was that, if he placed himself in the Raikage's shoes, there was only one ninja who might be comparable to Yugito in terms of importance to the village: Gaara, and before him, Naruto.

All of these thoughts ran through the old man's mind as he watched Yugito swing from bar to bar, a playful smile on her lips. She seemed so happy and carefree, certainly nothing like one would expect a demon container who had lived a hard life to behave. And even with his finely-tuned senses, he had detected no traces of demonic chakra in her. Perhaps he was too used to Gaara, who would always retain at least a small portion of Shukaku's power no matter what he did. After all, it was because of Shukaku that Gaara could manipulate sand.

But Yugito seemed normal. Yet, no normal girl could have saved Gaara's life, or known that Shukaku would only awaken when Gaara was asleep. At the very least, Yugito had to have possessed considerable knowledge of sealing jutsu, Shukaku in particular, and/or demon containers in general. More than likely, as a demon container trained by a Kage, she would be familiar with all three. It certainly explained why Gaara had offered very little information as to her origins, and why she was so interested in Naruto (and why she had more information on Akatsuki than even HE did). Then again, it also made the Sandaime suspicious of Kyojuu. Rock-nin and Cloud-nin were both enemies of Konoha, but these days they did not typically work together (if they did, Konoha would be in a very bad shape). Kyojuu's story was far too similar to Yugito's, to the point where Haku seemed like the least suspicious one of the bunch, and even he had plenty of skeletons in his closet.

"Must be nice," Yugito said suddenly, sounding wistful.

The Hokage turned to her, and found she was staring at a group of children as they ran out of the academy excitedly, followed closely by a teacher who looked exhausted. The sight reminded him vaguely of Iruka (although Iruka had always been more annoyed and less tired; this teacher was clearly new, not to mention out of shape), and the old man closed his eyes briefly. Perhaps if Iruka had only been a teacher, he would still be around to... no. Every ninja had their talents, and there was no room to waste any of them.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"No. I just... never had any friends like that," she answered slowly.

"Your teammates seem loyal enough."

Yugito smiled. "No, they're great. I mean, but they both started off owing me. I never had anyone that I just... made friends with, for no other reason than because I could. It just never worked out that way for me..."

The Sandaime started to reach out and comfort her, planning to say how friends would come in time to a nice girl like her, but he never got the chance.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, OLD MAN! TODAY'S THE DAY THAT I FINALLY DEFEAT YOU AND BECOME THE NEXT HOKAGE!!!"

Sighing, the Hokage looked up to see his grandson charging straight at him, with his friends Udon and Moegi right behind him. They, at least, had the sense to look slightly embarrassed about rushing the Hokage of all people, but Konohamaru was as determined as ever.

Strangely enough, Konohamaru did not trip over his own feet, or his long scarf, as he usually did... although the Sandaime was certain that, given a few more seconds, he would've done just that. No, before any of that could happen, Yugito calmly stepped in front of him, smirked, and spat out a mouthful of tiny nails at high speed.

A neat row of nails pinned Konohamaru's scarf to the ground, and he was only able to take a few more steps before his own momentum yanked him off of his feet. He landed hard, groaning painfully as Udon and Moegi caught up to him.

"Are you okay, Konohamaru?" Udon asked, sniffing loudly.

Moegi just stared at Yugito in awe.

"What the heck is your problem?!" Konohamaru demanded as he tried in vain to free his scarf. "I challenged the old man, not you!"

"I may be new here," Yugito said slowly, tossing a wink over her shoulder at the old man, "but I'm pretty sure that attacking the Hokage, for ANY reason, is grounds for execution."

All three kids froze, their faces displaying matching expressions of horror.

"A public one, too," she added. "That way all of your friends can watch and learn what not to do. So technically, I'd be well within my rights to kill you all right here and now."

Moegi let out a terrified squeak, and Udon turned pale enough to match his namesake. Konohamaru was simply too scared to move.

"But, I'm feeling merciful today, so I'll let you off with a warning." Yugito leaned in close and grabbed Konohamaru's ear. "If you EVER try to attack my Saru-jiji again, you won't live to be a teenager, much less the next Hokage."

The instant she let go, Konohamaru tore off his scarf and ran screaming back into the academy, a rather large wet spot rapidly developing on the front of his pants. Udon followed him more out of principle, but Moegi stayed rooted to the spot, still trembling in fear.

Yugito smiled kindly and patted the girl on the head. "If your friend ever stops screaming, tell him that you're supposed to get strong BEFORE you take on someone better than you. The way things are looking now, you've got a better chance of becoming Hokage. You didn't run away, at least."

Moegi managed a weak smile, and then she ran off as well.

"I think I'm starting to see why you had trouble making friends," the Sandaime chuckled.

Yugito pouted and placed her hands on her hips. "I was just messing with them! Anyway, you can't run up on somebody yelling like that, it's a good way to get killed. Better that they learn here and now, while they can still afford to make mistakes."

"I suppose I should thank you for 'protecting' me, though."

She grinned. "You could treat me to lunch somewhere. Terrorizing kids works up an appetite, y'know."

* * *

_Konoha - Uchiha Compound - May_

Sasuke did not particularly like opening up his ancestral home to people he just barely knew, but he had to admit that he was only using a small portion of it himself, and the rest was just collecting dust, anyway. Hinata seemed to enjoy playing hostess to their guests, so he hadn't made too much of a fuss.

The guests themselves weren't completely without their uses, though. Temari had blown out much of the dust with her fan in just a matter of minutes, refusing to live in what she'd called "inhospitable conditions" (Sasuke still did not recall anyone actually inviting her to stay, but she had been shadowing Gaara constantly since their reunion, and had made it perfectly clear that Gaara's stubbornness ran in the family). Kyojuu had dug out a giant garden for Hinata, somehow breathing new life into the old soil. When she was around, Yugito did anything she could to help with Hinata's household chores... and more importantly to Sasuke, his accursed thunderbird chick seemed to like Yugito far more than himself, and could often be found perched on her shoulder.

Haku had proved the most useful of all, simply by doing the very same thing he had the first time Sasuke encountered him. Why the feminine boy agreed to spar with him, Sasuke didn't know or care. What mattered was that Haku had lost none of his skill, and had in fact gained a bit more. Even better, Haku seemed especially interested in testing his ice mirrors against Sasuke's swords.

Still, it was starting to feel crowded, and Sasuke was not used to all the extra noise. Temari was full of questions for Gaara, who displayed a surprising amount of patience with her. Kyojuu spent most of his time uprooting dead trees and planting new ones, and tended to snore so loudly that everyone was relieved he insisted on sleeping outside. Haku was definitely the quietest guest, spending long hours gazing at the sky or going for walks around the compound with Kyojuu's ever-excitable dog.

It was strange, though. As much as Sasuke didn't like a bunch of strange people in his home, at times he was glad to have them. It would never be like it was, since they were nothing like the Uchiha Clan he had grown up in, but at the same time, he was glad to no longer feel quite so alone.

* * *

_Konoha - Hospital, Second Floor - May_

Kabuto's reappearance had already left Tsunade in a foul mood for the immediate future. Having practically the entire hospital staff beg her to examine the same group of patients had been more than a little annoying.

At least, until she found out that the patients were Rock Lee, Tenten, and Hyuuga Neji. Then she made record time getting to their room, and very likely injured some unfortunate people in the process.

Whatever she expected to find, it wasn't there when she finally stepped into the hospital room. The room was one of the larger ones, with three beds instead of the usual one. It was rare that an entire team got hospitalized at once, but it did happen, and if they could draw strength from being in each other's presence, they were more likely to survive.

This was not the case today, however.

Neji was simply sitting on the edge of his bed, which was the nearest to the wall. He was staring out of the window with an unreadable expression on his face.

Lee and Tenten, however, were practically pinned against the opposite wall, seemingly by their own power. One of them (most likely Lee) had turned the remaining two beds onto their sides, forming a barrier between them and, apparently, Neji. Both of them looked rather silly, peeping over the beds like nervous children.

"Somebody want to tell me what the hell is going on here?" Tsunade demanded.

Lee opened his mouth, noticed Neji was now looking at him, and promptly shut his mouth.

Neji sighed. "I'm afraid it was my fault, Tsunade-sama. I have focused entirely on developing my Byuakugan lately, and the results were both considerable and disturbing."

Tsunade stared at the Hyuuga boy for a long moment. "If you're going to sit there and tell me that you staring at them is what landed them here..."

"No. Not quite," Neji replied with a faint smile that seemed out of place on his face. "My younger cousin Hanabi recently learned a technique that practically allows her to fight while blinded. To my knowledge, it in no way depends on the visual enhancements of the Byakugan. It made me realize how much I depend on my own Byakugan, but since I know of no way to fight without it, I tried to improve my defenses. I asked my teammates to assist with this, and they agreed."

"And you beat them up?" Tsunade asked.

"No more than usual," Neji insisted. "But because their own defenses were lowered at the time, it might not appear that way."

Frowning, Tsunade shook her head. Lee almost never dropped his guard, and even when he did, he was still fast enough to usually avoid or absorb any attack against him. "Suppose you tell me exactly what you did to them, then."

"It is... difficult to explain," Neji admitted slowly. "I believe a demonstration would better inform you as to what took place. May I?"

Tsunade almost laughed. No one had ever asked if they could attack her. No one had ever dared. But this was a special case, and she needed to know what had happened to Lee and Tenten before she could treat them. "Fine, go ahead."

Neji merely closed his eyes for an instant. When he opened them, his Byakugan was activated.

And yet, it was so much more than that.

Tsunade actually felt as if an invisible force had slammed into her chest, and was now pressing down on her shoulders with all the strength it had. It was very much like killing intent, but at the same time, it was something else entirely. It was also no match for her power, but she immediately understood how it must have impacted Lee and Tenten. They had undoubtedly frozen in their tracks, and Neji, not realizing that they were unable to defend themselves, had just rolled right over both of them, assuming his usual strength and skill was simply too much for them.

Only one explanation made sense: Neji's Byakugan was no longer limited to just seeing. Now it could also translate his killing intent into a physical force, which was apparently nearly as strong as if he had actually struck an opponent with Gentle Fist taijutsu.

"Congratulations, Neji," Tsunade said after several seconds of thought. "However, I think you missed the mark on trying to develop your Byakugan. I'd say you damn near evolved it."

* * *

Ino was supposed to be sleeping. But even if she hadn't been so worried about Shikamaru, she wouldn't have been able to. Even now, she could hear her father and Asuma talking downstairs. The worst part was that there had been no shouting... which meant both men were in total agreement. And that could only be bad.

Biting her lip, Ino glanced over at her other roommates. Sakura wasn't asleep either, probably for the same reasons. The pink-haired girl had been quiet ever since they'd gotten home, and for that, Ino was very grateful. She didn't need to be reminded of how bad she'd messed up, and Sakura, like any good friend, had only needed to say "I told you so" the one time before moving on.

Akamaru had been supportive in his own way. Usually he kept his distance from Ino, as they both knew she was not even remotely a dog person. But today he had actually been a real source of comfort, even if he had only rested his head on Ino's knee, or licked her hand. He did not judge her, he was not afraid of her, and he didn't look at her in certain way. He was simply a dog, who recognized that Ino was not behaving as she normally did, so he was going to keep giving little nudges until she found herself again.

Unfortunately, only Akamaru thought that way. Pretty much everyone else would be convinced that Ino was a danger to herself and others, and that allowing her to participate in the chuunin exams was a bad idea. And in her darker moments, Ino admitted that they were right. She was likely to kill someone, the difference being that it would most likely be random and merciless, rather than premeditated and merciless, as was usual for that sort of thing. And even that might not matter, except that she could not even guarantee that she wouldn't turn on her own teammates.

Chouji had come by earlier, but Ino had refused to see him. She knew he wouldn't judge her, and that was exactly why she didn't have it in her to face him. He liked to believe the best about people, almost to the point where he was too naive to be a ninja. It had never even occurred to Ino to talk to him about her being raped. How could he possibly accept the idea that some people were just evil for no good reason, and that they hurt others so deeply that the hurt would never go away? It was not the kind of thing Ino would ever choose to discuss with him.

Shikamaru was perhaps the one friend she had who might have understood... and now he was in the hospital because of her. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, naturally. But the feeling of being trapped and powerless had triggered... something in her mind, and she had just become a genjutsu fountain.

What bothered Ino most about that day was that, as she and Sakura had discussed the incident, they realized that half of genjutsu Ino had used were completely unfamiliar to both of them. Sakura had never taught her anything so brutal, and Ino's father had been shocked to see what his little girl had done to Shikamaru. But the fact remained that somehow, Ino HAD known those dark genjutsu... and almost certainly still did, on some level of her mind. And yet she could not even begin to imagine where she might have possibly picked up such skills.

The answer, or at least, the potential answer, came to her unasked for.

"You know. You know all too well, little girl."

It was a voice that Ino had not heard in years. Once, she imagined it belonged to her mother, but now she knew that it had only been a substitute. The voice had been with her since childhood, protecting but never guiding, always content to let Ino make her own mistakes and learn from them. But as she'd grown, the voice had spoken less and less, or Ino had just stopped paying attention to it. Either way, at some point it had stopped talking, although by then Ino had definitely stopped listening.

"You should have asked for my help, Ino. You should have let me help you. If you had, you could've watched those filthy men die by your own hands. You could have bathed in their blood, feasted on their hearts, and stamped out their worthless souls. I never would've let them touch you... if only you'd asked for my help."

Ino closed her eyes and clapped her hands over her ears. "Your kind of help hurt Shikamaru!"

"That is because you have not been training properly, and so you lack control. Your desperation built to the point where you unconsciously accessed my power, and that was the result. If you had not been ignoring me all this time, you would know how to protect yourself."

"I don't NEED your kind of help! I can protect myself with my clan jutsu!"

There was a brief pause. "And whatever made you think that my power was not part of your clan's legacy, Ino? It may not be pretty, but being a real shinobi rarely ever is. Do you have any idea how many people your father has had to kill, just in order to remain as handsome as he is? Or did you just assume that no one ever aimed for his face? And I'll tell you something else: he did it for you. You have no idea how shattering it is for a little girl to learn that her father isn't invincible, to learn that he can be hurt and scarred like everyone else."

Ino hated to admit it, but she knew it was true. She would've liked to believe that her father, like her, had fewer battle scars because he hung back and let his teammates do all the dirty work. But she had overheard too many war stories where he had saved his former teammates. But how could she hold that against him? She wouldn't have survived without him, and of course she was glad that the fathers of her two teammates had lived.

"It's time you stopped ignoring who you are, and who you can become, Ino. Stop being protected, and learn to protect yourself. Rely on the power that dwells within you, waiting to be used, and you will never know defeat again. Show the world the true might of the Yamanaka Clan. You can start by asking your father for the truth... about me."

* * *

_Konoha - Uchiha Compound - May_

"Are you ready to begin, Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke nodded, staring at Haku and gripping Raiden's hilt a little tighter. Since Amekaze was responding to him more frequently, Sasuke was focusing entirely on unlocking the abilities of the remaining sword now. So far, though, Raiden had been the more stubborn of the two, and while the barrier of forgetfulness no longer presented a problem, the sword was not above releasing mild electrical shocks while Sasuke gripped it. But instead of being deterred, Sasuke took this as proof that the sword was on the verge of revealing its true power to him, and practiced with it more than ever.

Gaara had been the one to first suggest testing the sword against Yugito and her teammates. Raiden clearly had no trouble absorbing and reflecting lightning without any aid from Sasuke, yet because of this, he had almost no control over it. Even worse, Kyojuu tended to release too much lightning when they sparred, while Yugito used too little out of fear of hurting Sasuke. Haku, then, was the best choice: he knew better than to hold back against Sasuke, and the maximum amount of lightning he could produce was just enough for Sasuke to be in real danger, but not enough to completely overwhelm the Uchiha.

Haku smiled slightly as he readied himself. "I must confess that I have been replaying our first encounter in my mind a great deal. It's a habit of mine, always going back to pick apart what I did wrong. Zabuza saw it as one of my greatest strengths, since I rarely ever made the same mistake more than once."

Sasuke smirked, sensing where this was headed. "So what are you saying? That you think you can beat me now?"

"I would never imply anything so rude," Haku replied, his lips curving into a smile. "However, I have been improving, and I can say with confidence that you would not be able to escape my techniques so easily this time. Will you allow me to demonstrate?"

Perhaps it was just a sign of his Uchiha pride, but Sasuke was not too worried. There was no water in sight, and while Haku could still produce ice without it, doing so demanded more chakra and more time, both of which could be fatal in a real fight. Of course, Haku would no doubt be giving Sasuke plenty of distractions to stall for time, but that, too, would draw on his chakra reserves, which only gave Sasuke even more ways to win.

"Fine with me." Under his breath, Sasuke was sure to add, "No interfering this time, Kikyou."

"As you wish, Sasuke-sama," came the murmured reply from his arm.

Oddly enough, Haku did not immediately begin the battle by launching senbon, or forming an ice mirror. Instead, he calmly reached into his pocket, produced a tiny blue pill, and put it into his mouth.

Sasuke frowned. "A little early to be taking a soldier pill, isn't it?"

Haku laughed. "I sometimes forget that we grew up in entirely different places. No, that was a water pill. You're familiar with blood pills, I assume? These work on largely the same principle."

It only took Sasuke an instant to realize that one advantage he'd been counting on, which was Haku's needing more time to produce frozen water, had just been taken away.

Indeed, a moment later, Haku's body was producing more than enough water. From what Sasuke could see, the feminine boy was sweating heavily, even as tears streamed down his face. Combined with the confident smile on Haku's face, it was more than a little unsettling. But there was no time to think on that as Haku raised both hands before his face, and, to Sasuke's growing alarm, began to form two sets of one-handed hand seals.

They had all accepted that, even for a ninja, Haku was a genetic freak (Hinata insisted on "genetic genius" to be polite). His bloodline ability, the one-handed hand seals, and the uncanny ability to effectively counter any attack he saw once were bad enough. But Haku had never indicated that he could expand the one-handed seals into pulling off two jutsu at the same time.

This was, in a word, bad.

But Sasuke immediately recognized the right set of hand seals for Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hiding Mist Technique), and he had in fact been expecting it. It was the fastest, simplest way for Haku to extract water from a nearby source. Also, the mist caused Sasuke to miss the rest of the hand seals for Haku's left hand. Even though he knew the Sharingan could not penetrate the mist, Sasuke still activated it. He didn't expect Haku to use anything he could copy, but the mist would slow his reaction time, so the Sharingan would help make up for that.

All too soon, Sasuke began to hear the loud, familiar sounds of water hardening into chakra-enfused ice. Curiously, it was much louder than he'd expected, and the reason for this soon became clear.

The hole in Haku's strategy last time was that, as confining as his Makyou Hyou Shou (Demonic Ice Mirrors) were, there was still room for an opponent to escape, if they were fast, lucky, or smart enough.

There was no such opportunity this time: Sasuke found himself enclosed inside a pyramid of ice, sealed on all sides, even from underneath. And on each of the four surfaces, he could see Haku staring at him, armed not with the usual senbon, but a black-gloved fist that crackled with blue electricity.

"You have no idea how difficult it was, to harness a type of lightning that would not melt my ice mirrors," Haku explained just before he struck.

It was not really a matter of dodging: there wasn't room enough, especially when Haku could just move to another mirror nearly as fast as Sasuke could blink. With fewer surfaces to move between, Haku was even faster than before, and since all Saskue really had room to do was turn around, there was little chance of avoiding the hit.

The only option was to take the hit, and try to minimize the damage.

But it quickly became obvious that Haku had spent some time perfecting this attack. Even when Sasuke brought Raiden's blade down to absorb the electricity, instead of just being drawn into the blade, Haku's blue lightning danced along it, so that even though the majority was absorbed, Sasuke still got a painful shock from the remainder that leaped over the hilt and hit his left arm. The curious thing was that instead of being burned, Sasuke's arm went numb, and then became very cold, so much so that it began trembling uncontrollably in an instinctive attempt to warm itself.

Sasuke was no medic-nin, but he was fairly certain that being that cold for too long usually resulted in frostbite and amputation, and he wasn't about to give up an arm. Fortunately, he had one thing that Haku did not: a wide array of earth jutsu. Even though he hated the muddy aftertaste, Sasuke quickly realized that Doton: Doryuheki (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall) was his best bet, not because he needed a wall, but because he had learned to manipulate the jutsu to suit a wide variety of situations. So it was a simple matter to spew mud onto his free right arm, wait for it to harden, and then grab Haku's hand with it.

What resulted startled them both: Sasuke's earth-encased arm began to freeze over, even as he started crushing Haku's hand.

"Lightning that freezes," Sasuke muttered. "So it doesn't conflict with your bloodline, and it thickens your mirrors. I'd be worried... if my best teacher wasn't cold-blooded. Hebi Hijutsu: Douka (Snake Secret Technique: Absorption)!"

Haku could tell from the name alone that this was probably not a technique that Sasuke should be using himself. But he knew that Sasuke wouldn't listen, partially because he was just that stubborn, but mostly because Haku doubted that Sasuke could hear anything once the jutsu began.

The strain was evident in the Uchiha as he began to absorb all the nearby chakra: from the ice mirrors, the frozen earth around his arm, the blue lightning, and even from Haku's own body. And as sick as the sensation of chakra being leaked from his body made Haku feel, he could see that it had to be worse for Sasuke. From all appearances, the cost of the jutsu was that it took nearly all of Sasuke's own chakra to perform.

But, amazingly enough, the technique worked. All of the jutsu began to fall apart without the chakra needed to maintain them. The ice began to melt rapidly, the earth fell from Sasuke's arm in thick chunks, and Haku's lightning, while it began to lose power, seemed especially resilient, as it continued to attack Sasuke's now right bare arm.

That was when Raiden's blade began to glow bright yellow, quickly absorbing the remaining lightning.

Unfortunately, Sasuke's jutsu was designed to absorb all chakra, and since he was holding a sword that had just taken in plenty of chakra, they began to battle against each other for control of it.

Haku acted without thinking. He smacked Sasuke's shaking left hand, causing him to drop the sword to the now damp ground. Raiden instantly lost its glow and became dormant.

Only then did Sasuke's jutsu end, and with a pained groan, he sank to his knees, even as angry red lines began to work their way down his right arm from his shoulder, heading for his hand. Sasuke slowly lifted his head, staring into Haku's face with weary black eyes. "Run," was all he said.

Haku ran, and was immediately glad he did so.

In the next moment, Sasuke screamed in pain as all of the chakra he'd absorbed came rushing back out through his hand in one destructive beam of red light. The tree it struck was obliterated on the spot, leaving nothing but blackened ground.

Haku stared at Sasuke as he collapsed to the ground, quickly losing consciousness. "It seems you have won again, Sasuke-san," he murmured, bowing respectfully before he knelt down to attend to the Uchiha's arm. The red lines were gone, at least, although the arm was hot to the touch.

There was a frustrated sigh from somewhere around Sasuke's other arm. "I warned him it wasn't meant for human use..."

The air shifted suddenly, and Haku gasped as a large pair of golden talons seized Sasuke and lifted him carefully from the ground. All he saw after that was a yellow streak that vaguely resembled Shizuka speeding towards the house, although the thunderbird had nearly quadrupled in size overnight.

"I really should be used to things like that now," Haku sighed, shaking his head as he got up to follow them.

* * *

_Konoha - The Dango Ditch - May_

Naruto stared into a cup of questionable liquid, quietly reflecting on his day.

After the incident with Ino, Hanabi had all but dragged him to the Hokage Tower and explained everything to the Sandaime, who naturally didn't blame Naruto for anything that had happened. Naruto still worried what would happen to Ino, but the old man had told him that this was not the first time a Yamanaka had displayed such an ability, and that it probably wouldn't be the last. Naruto found it strange how serious Hanabi behaved while she was in the Hokage's presence, and began to wonder if her cutesy act before was, well, an act, or if this was the side that was fake.

Naruto had tried to visit Shikamaru in the hospital afterwards, but they had obviously improved security since the last time he'd been there, and Hanabi had made him promise not to try and force his way in. She did send a guard in to check on Shikamaru, though, and the Nara boy was resting comfortably, for the time being.

Anko had shown up around that time, suggesting that Naruto lay low for a while. Naturally, the first place she thought of was a bar that Naruto was far too young for, but that he'd had no problem getting into, since the owner knew Anko on sight. The strange part was that he hadn't even blinked twice at seeing Naruto with her, but he'd forbidden Hanabi to come in, as she was far too young. Hanabi had nearly made a scene, but Naruto calmed her down by quickly promising to do whatever she wanted the next day. Somehow, from the ominous gleam in her eyes, he knew he'd regret that, but it had gotten her to leave without a fuss.

Unfortunately, ramen was practically a forbidden word in the Dango Ditch, so Naruto had mostly stuck to dango and a drink that was supposed to come from some kind of fruit, but tasted more like old vegetables. It wasn't great, but it was filling, and that was all he really cared about at the time. Anko had gone back to the owner's office to trade war stories or something like that, so Naruto passed the time by watching the other patrons. Most were too drunk or too loud to even notice him, and that was pretty nice, considering. Plus the lighting was bad, so it was even easier not to see anyone who wasn't sitting at the same table.

Naruto definitely noticed when someone sat at his table, though, because she wasn't loud, drunk, or Anko, for that matter. She also wasn't glaring at him, which meant she probably wasn't here to attack him in some way.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," the blond girl said in a pleasant voice that was both friendly and familiar, as if they'd known each other for years.

He stared at her uncertainly. "Um, do I know you?" Kyuubi wasn't picking up anything strange from the girl, and quickly lost interest as a result, so this conversation was completely up to Naruto now.

"Not really," she admitted with a smile. "Not yet. But I know you."

Naruto had no way to respond to that. The girl didn't look familiar at all. She was slightly taller than him, and her hair was secured in a braid that went down her back. Maybe he was imagining it, and maybe it was the dim lighting, but her eyes almost seemed gold. "Well, I don't know what you've heard, but if you got it from anyone around here, it's probably a damn lie."

"Oh, I don't think Gaara was lying about you," the girl said calmly.

Naruto very nearly spilled his drink. People tended to do things like that whenever it was implied that Gaara... well, did normal things, like participated in social circles. "You know Gaara? How?"

"That's a long story for another time. Right now I'd rather talk about us, Naruto-kun."

"Uh, listen, you're cute and all, but I don't even know your name, so..."

She laughed softly. "It's Yugito, and I'm not interested in dating you. It'd be a little weird, with me being your sister and all."

This time, Naruto did spill his drink, and for once, he and Kyuubi were thinking along the same lines.

"Well, brat? You always wanted to know why your family was crazy enough to live in this hellhole, so you might as well ask."

**End of Chapter 23.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Naruto and Yugito get to know each other. Ino and Inoichi have a serious talk. Team Gaara gets a new mission. Iruka and Tayuya get into another fight. Kurenai practices hotel safety (you would, too, if you had to share a room with Itachi and Kisame).

Endnotes:

I am not implying that Sasori and Kisame are faster than Deidara and Itachi. Quite the opposite, in fact. From what I've seen, Itachi usually sets the pace for himself and Kisame. But with Kisame having a larger body, and a big sword, he's a better shield. The same arguably goes for Deidara and Sasori (minus the sword, plus a very large puppet). So when they're moving in a hurry, the shields are up front as a first line of defense, which gives the faster members even more time to react (not that they'd need it, but it makes them seem even faster, and most sane ninja would wet their pants faced with that kind of speed).

I had to sneak in a Konohamaru scene, since I scrapped the idea of him and his friends idolizing Gaara and drawing black rings around their eyes.

Totally made up water pills, and on second thought, probably shouldn't have. Haku doesn't seem the type to sweat much… which is probably why he would need such a thing, but still, it would look wrong: a feminine guy crying right before he beats you down. Better than him taking a leak, I guess… and trust me, that did cross my mind.

Hanabi's jutsu:

**Usonaki (Faking Crying):**

A cutesy genjutsu technique where Hanabi fools her victim (usually male) into believing she's about to burst into tears (and that it's entirely their fault). Consequently, they'll do just about anything to keep that from happening.

Kyojuu's jutsu:

**Kuchiyose: Maizoubutsu (Summoning: Buried Property/Treasure):**

An old Rock-nin technique used instead of summoning scrolls. The user plunges their hands into the ground, and pulls out a previously buried item, usually a weapon. Typically used if scrolls are unavailable, to save time in summoning an item, or if a scroll might be damaged in battle.

Ino's jutsu:

**Magen: Tomedonai Kunai (Demonic Illusion: Endless Kunai):**

A dark genjutsu technique where the target feels as if they are being stabbed repeatedly by many kunai.

Yugito's jutsu:

**Harinomushiro (Bed of Nails):**

The user spits out many tiny nails, which can be used to pin down opponents, guide electrical attacks, or both.

Neji's jutsu:

**Hyuuga Hijutsu: Nirami (Hyuuga Secret Technique: Glare):**

Neji combines chakra and killing intent, creating an invisible, physical force that is released through his Byakugan. Depending on the amount of chakra released, this force can either merely paralyze, or have the same impact as several Gentle Fist strikes.

Haku's jutsu:

**Makyou Hyou Kakusui (Demonic Ice Pyramid):**

An evolved version of Haku's Demonic Ice Mirrors, in which an opponent is sealed inside a pyramid of ice. The completely enclosed space within provides little room for the enemy to move, and because Haku only has to move between four ice mirrors (including the base of the pyramid), all of which are touching, his speed greatly increases and he can attack from any angle. This is designed to defeat an enemy with a few major blows, rather than slowly weakening them many more.

**Seihyou Raikou (Ice-Making**** Lightning):**

Haku produces lightning that freezes when it strikes a surface.

Sasuke's jutsu:

**Hebi Hijutsu: Douka (Snake Secret Technique: Absorption):**

In snakes, this technique absorbs chakra to increase physical size and strength. In humans, however, the absorption process is far more unstable and puts a tremendous strain on the body. The stored chakra must be released immediately afterwards, or it could destroy the body.


	24. House of the Homemade Family

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 24: House of the Homemade Family**

* * *

_Konoha - The Dango Ditch - May_

It had not originally been Yugito's intention to lie to Naruto. Really, there was no good reason why she should've had to. She needed him to know the truth: about himself, the other demon vessels, and Akatsuki. But she also needed him to trust her, and given Naruto's history, there was really only one way to do that.

Family seemed to be the only thing that mattered to all demon containers, usually because they lacked it for one reason or another. So far, Gaara was the only one of them with any living relatives, but it just so happened that Naruto knew nothing about his family.

She had expected him to doubt her claim of being his sister, but Naruto hadn't. It was because deep down, he wanted to believe her. This made Yugito feel somewhat guilty, but she assured herself that she could tell him the truth later. Right now, all that mattered was that their similar hair color was proof enough for him.

Still, the revelation that he had a sister had left Naruto at a loss for words. He kept staring at her, whether she was looking or not, as if he thought she might vanish if he took his eyes off of her. Normally, this might have annoyed Yugito, but she understood what it was like to suddenly realize that you were no longer alone. That was part of why she was so determined to unite the few remaining demon containers. With her clan gone, this was the only group she could possibly belong to. They were her family now, and she wasn't going to lose any more of them.

"Should I, uh... get you something to drink?" Naruto blurted out suddenly.

Yugito blinked at him, tilting her head slightly. "I'm fine."

"Are you hungry? Because I-"

"You don't have to get me anything, Naruto-kun," she replied patiently.

He looked concerned. "But you're my sister! I have to... I'm supposed to... I don't know, look after you. Right?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No. I've done okay for myself so far, and so have you. If you want to do something nice for me, fine. But don't do it because you think I need it, or because you think you have to take care of me."

Naruto frowned at her. "Are you sure it's supposed to be like that?"

Yugito sighed. "Naruto-kun, the way things are supposed to be have never really applied to my life, and I don't imagine they did to yours, either. Were you supposed to be tormented because of something you never did? Of course not." She reached across the table and placed her hand on his. "Look, I didn't introduce myself because I needed you to take care of me. I just felt like we should know each other. So if you want to talk or hang out or whatever, I'm here. But I don't want to become a burden for you."

Yugito could see in his eyes that this was not how Naruto had imagined having a sister would be. Maybe she was being a little distant, but it was for the best. This would make it easier when she finally told him the truth, or so she hoped. She assumed that Naruto would just think she was being cautious, for the moment.

She had no idea how wrong she was, until a pained expression appeared on his face, and he slowly drew his hand back.

"You know," he whispered.

The color drained out of Yugito's face as she instantly realized what Naruto was thinking. "Oh, Naruto-kun, no. It isn't that, I promise."

But he was shaking his head, refusing to meet her eyes. "You just said it wasn't my fault, that I wasn't supposed to be punished for it. But you're just like everyone else in this stupid village..."

Yugito was at his side in an instant, placing her hands firmly on his shoulders. "No, I'm not. The only people here that I'm like are you and Gaara." With that, she closed her eyes and allowed the Nibi's chakra to flow through her body. Normally, the demon cat suppressed her own chakra so thoroughly that it was completely undetectable. She even went so far as to surround Yugito with a "death aura," which erased nearly all traces of their presence. Only the best trackers in the world could follow them for more than a few feet. Even Shukaku had not known what she was until she allowed him to sense her true nature.

Naruto immediately picked up on the demonic chakra, and from the telltale red flash in his eyes, so did Kyuubi.

"I am your sister, Naruto-kun," Yugito said quietly, staring into his eyes. "And we're more alike than you think."

* * *

Yamanaka Inoichi was not exactly a typical ninja. He was an assassination specialist, a single father, and when the mood struck him, as it often did, a gardener. For every life that he took, for every hardship that he suffered, for everything that ever went wrong in his life, Inoichi found relief by planting a single seed. Naturally, by now he had planted an entire field of pain, and even though it hurt him to look at it every day, he was still astounded by just how beautiful it was.

Only two things had ever been more lovely in his eyes: his late wife, and their daughter. And just as his wife had been a difficult woman to love, Ino had proved a challenge to raise every other minute. There were a million reasons why Inoichi had done it, but the biggest one was also the simplest one: she was his princess, and he would die before he saw her unhappy.

These days, though, Ino had become increasingly unhappy, or at least frustrated, and the only thing that had kept Inoichi from going out and killing the men responsible was that someone had already beaten him to it. He doubted that Sabaku no Gaara would ever come to his home, but if the boy ever did, Inoichi planned to cook him a ten-course meal, demon container or not. It hadn't taken a demon to hurt Ino, but this one had saved her, so whatever Gaara was, he was welcome in the Yamanaka home.

The worst part of it was that Ino began to distance herself from everyone, Inoichi included. The light in her eyes was dimmed when she looked at him, and he knew it would never return. She didn't even smile the same way when he called her "Princess," something that had been a sign of their strong connection for years. But Inoichi was not in the habit of forcing Ino to do anything, so when she asked to be left alone, that was exactly what he did. Always, he let her know that he was willing to listen, and she would just nod and look away.

It hurt him deeply, to know that there was nothing broken in Ino that he could fix himself. His experience at repairing minds, and not attacking them, was sadly limited. Even so, he would not have dared to tamper with Ino's mind and risk making her worse, not in her delicate condition.

But sitting in a silent house, watching Ino look at anything but him, was too painful to endure. Inoichi had taken up long walks through the village, sometimes accompanied by his old friend Nara Shikaku, but most often alone. It was on one of these walks that his daughter came running up to him, suddenly stopping short and looking far too hesitant.

"What is it, Princess?" he asked at once, starting to reach for her, then pausing when he saw her eyes tracking his hand. He bit his lip and started to lower his hand, but Ino suddenly grabbed it and draped his arm over her shoulders. They hadn't been that close in weeks, so it was both awkward and familiar.

"I need answers," she said softly, laying her head against his side. "And only you can give them to me."

"You know I would never deny you something you needed, sweetheart. All you have to do is ask."

Ino paused for a long moment. "You remember how Sakura and I used to have imaginary friends when we were little? They were real, weren't they?"

Inoichi closed his eyes tightly. "Your voice came back, then."

"Please don't lie to me this time. I'm not a little girl anymore, so you don't have to protect me like before. I need to know if... what it's telling me is true." Ino laced her fingers through his and squeezed his hand. "Please?"

"If that's what you need," he sighed. "What you have to understand is that the Yamanaka Clan is just like any other in the village. We have our secrets, our shames, our dark pasts. Our power, our jutsu, our skills... they all came from a set of female twins that came here when the village was first founded. They died shortly after, trapped in a genjutsu that ensnared their minds as one. They were each survived by a set of twin sons, and it is those four men who founded our clan."

"So the voice I hear... is a part of me?" Ino asked.

"Yes," Inoichi confirmed. "In most cases, the stronger, more forceful part of you. Sakura is a good example of that."

Ino's eyes widened. "Wait, so she's...?"

"Related, yes. Her mother and I are distant cousins. They are from one of the branches that broke away for various reasons, so the power isn't quite as strong in them. I had a chance to see inside Sakura's mind when she was very young. She cannot learn our clan jutsu, but her voice is quite strong despite that."

"So why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Ino demanded with a frown.

"Because... I wasn't ready to admit that you could begin protecting yourself. You were a still a child, and I had only just started teaching you the ways of the ninja. I thought you were growing too fast, so I convinced you that you were just imagining the voice, in the hopes that it would fall silent until you truly needed it. But, I am afraid that in doing so, I left you largely defenseless, and... and..." He trailed off, unable to look at her any longer. "And it's my fault that this happened to you. I... I'm so sorry, Princess. I never even considered that this might cause you such suffering. I thought I would always be there to keep you safe."

Ino shook her head. "It was an ambush, and we were totally outnumbered. No amount of preparation would've saved me. Anyway, I thought you'd always protect me, too, so we were both wrong. No point in dwelling on it. We're here now, so teach me."

"You're right," he agreed, glad she was willing to move on. "Your voice... it basically makes you two people in one body, or just two voices in one mind. With training, you can absorb information twice as fast, teach yourself advanced jutsu, and-"

"Trade places," Ino interrupted softly, "so that one side stays safe."

Inoichi blinked. "Yes, I guess so. Is that how you...?"

"I didn't know how I was doing it, but yes." Ino stared at the ground. "All this time, she was helping me and I didn't even know it."

"I know it doesn't always seem that helpful," he added, "but that's because the voice represents things that you might not always care to think about it. Still, always remember that the voice is you, and it's in both your best interests to keep you alive. You might not like her much, but she isn't going to intentionally cause you harm. You can trust her, though it may take time."

"She wanted me to bathe in blood and eat some hearts!"

Inoichi paled. "Well, you don't ALWAYS have to listen to her... especially if she says anything about boys!"

* * *

_Konoha - Training Area - May_

Tenten was always the first one to show up when her team met anywhere. At first, she had done it so no one would say that she was a "typical kunoichi" that had no intention of becoming a great ninja. Now, it was just habit, and the extra time allowed her to warm up so that she was raring to go by the time her teammates showed up.

This morning, however, she ran into a slight problem: someone was here ahead of her.

The girl was even attacking Tenten's favorite training dummy with strange, quick jabs. Tenten had learned all sorts of taijutsu styles, but she'd never really seen anything quite like it.

Suddenly, the girl stopped and turned around, giving Tenten a much better view.

"Oh, sorry. Were you going to practice here?"

Tenten blinked and shook her head, smiling. "It's okay. My teammates will still be a few minutes. You can hang around if you want. Guy-sensei is always eager to take on new students. But I should warn you, if he offers you new clothes, just say no. Oh, I'm Tenten, by the way."

"Yugito," the girl replied with a nod. "Are you sure my being here isn't a problem? I didn't meant to intrude..."

"No, it's fine," Tenten assured her. "Guy-sensei likes to be watched, trust me. Just don't watch too closely, for the sake of your sanity. Hey, um, what was that taijutsu style you were using? I've never seen it around here."

Yugito shrugged. "I don't know, I've always fought that way. It suits me. Instinct, I guess. I'm not from around here, but you probably knew that."

"So are you a kunoichi?" Tenten asked. "I notice you're not wearing the mark of any Hidden Village, but you clearly know how to fight..."

"Hmm, I don't know if I should tell you that," Yugito sighed. "Let's make a deal: I won't ask you personal questions if you don't ask me."

"Fair enough," Tenten agreed. "So what are you willing to talk about?"

"Well, do you happen to have a little sister?"

"No, why?"

Yugito grinned. "In that case, we've got a little spy. Not a very good one, though."

Tenten quickly spun around, just in time to catch a streak of red ducking behind a tree. "Dammit, Moegi, I know it's you! I told you to quit following me!"

The little redhead poked her head out and stuck out her tongue. "I was following HER, not you! She's way stronger than you, Tenten nee-san!"

It took considerable self control for Tenten to hold her tongue. "You little brat! You're still playing ninja games with those two boys, aren't you? What would you know about true strength when you don't have any yet?"

Moegi glared at her. "We aren't playing! One day we'll be real ninja, you'll see!"

"Well, until that happens, stop following me, or you'll get hurt before you even get your first mission! You'd better be gone before Neji shows up, and you know he's nowhere near as nice about this as I am!"

"Hey," Yugito said suddenly, "it's better that she's following us instead of those two silly boys. At least her taste in role models is improving, right?"

Tenten frowned. "True, but I still don't think that-"

"Come on, what could it hurt? She'll never beat out Konohamaru for Hokage without some strong kunoichi to look up to, right?"

Tenten barely resisted the urge to snort. Despite his lineage, Konohamaru had about as much chance at becoming Hokage as Neji did at winning the Sexiest Smile Award in Kunoichi Monthly Magazine (his smiles tended to be pretty scary). "Fine. Just remember I warned you about Neji, so don't come crying to me when-"

"GREETINGS, YOUTHFUL KUNOICHI OF KONOHA!" Guy and Lee shouted together as they suddenly leaped from some nearby bushes.

Moegi shrieked in fear and hid behind Tenten, Yugito merely stared with wide eyes, and Tenten... tried her best to pretend she'd never seen them before in her life, which was pretty silly, since Moegi knew her whole team and Tenten had just warned Yugito about her teammates. But then, that was just how embarrassing the spandex-clad shinobi truly were.

Lee instantly noticed that one of the girls was unfamiliar to him (already he had promised to marry Moegi if they were both single when she became a chuunin, which Tenten suspected was the reason for the ever-present blush in the girl's cheeks). He zipped over to Yugito and bowed deeply. "You are by far one the most striking kunoichi I have ever seen! Please do me the great honor of..."

Tenten closed her eyes, knowing things were about to turn ugly. Moegi was plenty embarrassed about Lee's pledge to marry her, but she was also very jealous whenever Lee paid attention to other girls.

"...engaging me in a spirited sparring match!" Lee finished with a winning smile. "I can tell that you will make an excellent opponent!"

Yugito gaped at him. "Um, I'd love to, except that I'm more interested in watching for now."

Lee's eyes shone with tears as he grasped her hands. "Please do not refuse me! We must let our youthful spirits burst forth and shine like the sun!"

At a loss for words, Yugito looked at Tenten helplessly.

Sighing, Tenten reached over and bopped Lee on the head, soft enough where it didn't look brutal, but hard enough to make him wince and back off, whimpering. "Leave Yugito alone, Lee! We've got training to do, and she's a guest."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Neji demanded as he leaped down from a nearby tree, glaring at Yugito. "We don't invite people to watch us train."

"Now, now, Neji-kun," Guy chuckled loudly, "we must always encourage the youthful spirits of others! If Yugito-san is interested in our training, then at the very least, we must reward her curiosity with a good showing!"

Neji scowled. "I'm not doing anything until she leaves."

Yugito rolled her eyes. "Fine. You know, I'm glad I met Hinata first, otherwise I'd think all Hyuuga were like you." With that, she turned around and vanished.

Neji glared after her as the rest of the group frowned at him.

Moegi in particular stuck her tongue out at his back... but only when she was certain he wasn't using his Byakugan to see through the back of his head.

* * *

_Konoha - The Hokage Monument - May_

Hanabi had thought her plan was working perfectly. Naruto was quickly opening up to her, and had even let her hang onto his pet weasel for a while (despite Meg's protests). But all of her progress seemed to have come to a complete halt, and she suspected it was because something had happened when she and Naruto had parted ways at the Dango Ditch yesterday.

Naruto clearly had something on his mind when they'd met at Ichiraku's for a late breakfast, and had greeted her quietly, barely even looking at her. Hanabi had been annoyed, but she quickly realized that Naruto was reacting that way to everyone, even Temari, who had insisted on coming along when she'd seen just how moody he was. Naruto really had to be in a bad way if Temari had seen fit to drag herself away from Gaara.

Hanabi was quickly running out of ideas, too. She and Temari had put their heads together, but nothing they'd come up with had been able to cheer Naruto up. He mostly just kept staring blankly into space, and occasionally rubbing his right cheek with the oddest expression on his face.

Finally, they'd dragged him back up to the Hokage Monument, certain that seeing the statues of himself again would provoke him into feeling... something. But Naruto was even too distracted to realize where they were.

"I don't get it," Hanabi muttered in frustration, watching as Naruto gazed out over the village. "What went wrong? He was fine yesterday."

Temari shrugged, shaking her head. "He's not pissed off, so it couldn't be that he ran into an angry villager."

In truth, Hanabi had not really directed the question at Temari, but at the diminutive form of the childlike Yondaime Hokage, who was seated on the ground next to her. He seemed more solid since Naruto had returned, and far happier, too.

"Some girl kissed him on the cheek," the Yondaime replied, scratching at his chin with apparent disinterest.

Hanabi's head whipped towards him in surprise. She calmed herself quickly, realizing that Temari was staring at her curiously.

"Yeah, that was my reaction, too," he said, grinning. "Whoever she was, he hasn't stopped thinking about her since. That's all it is."

There were a million questions running through Hanabi's head as she turned to stare at Naruto's back. She could not think of a single girl who might kiss Naruto, except possibly Ayame, and even that would not have left such an impact on him. Anyway, the Yondaime always called Ayame "the ramen lady," so he at least knew her on sight. This begged the question of why a stranger would kiss Naruto. Maybe one of his fangirls from Suna had followed him here?

Growing more curious by the second, Hanabi walked over to Naruto and latched onto his arm. "Naru nii-chan, you're no fun today," she whined, tugging him a little. "What's wrong?"

Naruto looked down at her and managed a small smile. "Sorry, Hanabi-chan. I've just got something on my mind."

"Is it that giiirl who kiiissed you?" Hanabi teased with a knowing grin.

His eyes widened. "Shhh!" he hissed, glancing fearfully at Temari. "You can't tell anyone!"

"Why not?" Hanabi asked, pouting.

"It... um... a secret!" he replied quickly. "I'll get you some dango later if you keep it to yourself!"

"Mmm, okay," Hanabi agreed. "But only if you tell me who she was!"

Naruto hesitated, staring at her for a long moment. "She's important to me," was all he would say.

"More important than me?" Hanabi whimpered, poking out her bottom lip and letting it tremble for effect. She really only wanted to make Naruto feel a little guilty, but to her great surprise, he suddenly knelt down, hugged her, and brushed his lips against her forehead.

"I would never keep anything from my family unless it was of the greatest importance," he said quietly.

Hanabi's eyes widened. "Naru nii-chan..." she whispered.

"You would do anything to protect Hinata, right?" Naruto asked. "It's the same thing with me. So I need you to keep this between us, okay?"

Hanabi nodded slowly, even as she tried to figure who this mystery girl was, and why Naruto was so determined to protect her.

* * *

Sakura was a student of genjutsu, so she knew not to always trust her eyes.

So when she someone who she thought was Kiba (and a dog that she thought was Akamaru) making time with what she thought was another girl at Ichiraku Ramen, the first thing she did was try to cancel the illusion.

When the image remained, Sakura reviewed the facts as she knew them.

She'd just left Kiba at the hospital with Shikamaru.

The dog was a little smaller than Akamaru, and female.

The boy in question was actually bigger than Kiba in virtually all areas. From a distance and looking from behind, though, they were almost identical.

Sakura relaxed, but made up her mind to go over and check things out. She wanted to be sure she didn't mistake this guy for Kiba again, and one of the easiest ways to do that was to get his scent. Her nose was nowhere near as good as Kiba's, but she had trained it enough to recognize the scents of the people closest to her.

The dog paused and looked up as Sakura got close.

Sakura instantly paused, knowing that small size was no indicator of weakness. She also knew that Akamaru had been sitting in her lap all morning, so at the very least, this dog would know she was no stranger to animals.

When the dog gave no further sign that Sakura's presence was a bad thing she came closer and knelt down, smiling warmly. "Hi, pretty puppy," she cooed.

Instantly, the dog leaped into her arms, licking her face excitedly.

Sakura laughed and just barely managed to get the overly friendly dog at arm's length. "Wow, you're a fast one, aren't you?"

"Sorry about that," said a gruff voice above her.

Sakura looked up to see Kiba's "twin" looking down at her. His face was completely different, of course, and he had no clan markings. Still, he could've easily passed for an Inuzuka. "No, it's okay. She's a really nice dog. What's her name?"

"Yorishiro," he answered. "I'm Kyojuu. So, you like dogs?"

"Yeah," Sakura answered, cuddling Yorishiro and giggling as the dog licked her chin. "My name's Sakura. My boyfriend has one just like her. Actually, this is going to sound crazy, but I thought you were him for a minute. I came over here half expecting to yell at you for spending time with another girl."

Kyojuu made a sound that was half laugh and half snort. "I told you, you still look like a girl even with regular clothes on, Haku," he chuckled, elbowing the girl next to him.

Sakura's eyes widened as Haku turned to face her. "You... you're a boy!"

Haku sighed. "You're the first person that's actually willing to believe that. I wasn't even trying to pass for a girl this time..."

"But you're so PRETTY!" Sakura exclaimed, blushing.

Haku groaned and banged his head on the counter. "Thank you, I guess..."

"Wow, Ino will never believe this," Sakura murmured as she handed Yorishiro back to Kyojuu. "Well, it was nice to meet you three!" She petted Yorishiro one last time before running off, never noticing the way Haku's face had paled at the mention of her best friend.

* * *

_Konoha - Uchiha Compound - May_

Hinata knew very little about thunderbirds. The fact that she'd managed to take care of Shizuka almost single-handedly was nothing short of astounding, according to Yugito. But it wasn't as if the bird required all that much care. She pretty much came and went as she pleased, and so long as she was around whenever Hinata decided it was feeding time, there were no problems.

Strangely enough, this was also the case even after Shizuka's sudden, enormous growth spurt. She ate exactly the same amount she always had, and refused any other offers of food. About the only change her increase in size brought on was that she now spent more time within the confines of the Uchiha compound, assumedly because it was harder for her to escape notice.

What Hinata did know for certain was that Shizuka had saved, or at least tried to save Sasuke. Kikyou maintained that all Sasuke really needed was plenty of sleep to recover from his accident, but there was no way anyone else would've known that, so Hinata's feelings on the matter remained unchanged.

With Sasuke showing little improvement for the moment, Hinata ventured out to the tree that Shizuka had taken residence in. Fittingly enough, it faced Sasuke's bedroom, and gave the thunderbird a clear view of her sleeping master. Currently, Shizukua was merely sitting on a high branch, watching Sasuke rest. She had been there ever since she'd brought Sasuke in, and had only come down to be fed. Hinata made sure to pet Shizuka's beak and stroke her wings while the bird ate, and Shizuka accepted such praise with her usual silence, or occasionally an affectionate nudge, before returning to her perch.

"I've brought you something, Shizuka-chan," Hinata called up to the tree. "It's a present, for saving Sasuke. I think he would want you to have it."

It was a simple but practical gift, really. Hinata had begun to worry that despite Shizuka's cleverness, someone else in the village might eventually spot her and try to hunt her down. There was one way to make sure that nobody laid a hand on her, though: to mark her as a companion of the last Uchiha.

With Yugito's help, Hinata had sewn together two old, black coats that she'd found, and fashioned something of a very large cloak. It would look more like a poncho on Shizuka, and even then it would only cover a small portion of her body. But the important thing was that the red and white Uchiha fan was clearly visible on both sides.

Hinata wasn't sure if Shizuka would accept the gift, though. It was one thing for the bird to sit on Sasuke's head, but it was quite another to wear his symbol. Shizuka had never displayed any sort of fashion sense, but it was quite possible that she'd be offended by an obviously used, homemade gift.

After several moments, though, Shizuka did descend from the tree, and allowed Hinata to slip the cloak over her head. Once it was in place, the bird flew right back up to her perch to continue watching over Sasuke. Hinata was probably imagining it, but she thought Shizuka seemed a little prouder from then on.

* * *

The chuunin exams had always attracted plenty of high profile guests, and this time was no different. The guards stationed at the gates of Konoha were alert, but not overly concerned. If someone were going to infiltrate the village, they probably wouldn't attempt it in broad daylight, and certainly not when the streets were full people hoping to catch a glimpse of someone famous.

Ironically enough, this was EXACTLY how some of Konoha's greatest foes slipped in with no trouble.

Of course, no one would dare to question the Yondaime Kazekage. His bad temper was famous, and the alliance between the Leaf and Sand was largely thought to be as flimsy as the paper it was written on. No one was going to risk a minor incident escalating into a war. The Sandaime Hokage had issued orders that the Kazekage and Sand-nin in general were to be given far more leeway than was normal, and in some cases, wise.

Naturally, this also included his four bodyguards, two of which were so muscle-bound that it hardly seemed right to call them human... which, coincidentally enough, was exactly the case. The other two were normal enough, except the woman had a perpetual scowl on her face. And despite her usual bad temper, she had good reason to be upset: it was not a simple to matter to layer two summoned demons with two genjutsu, while at the same time maintaining two others over herself and her final companion.

That was saying something, since Tayuya was the most skilled genjutsu-using Sound kunoichi. In terms of talent, in all of the Sound, she was second only to Orochimaru: his skill at genjutsu could not even be measured, since it was impossible to tell where his illusions began and ended. Even worse (for Konoha, anyway), Orochimaru chose a disguise that no one would dare question in the first place.

But the real surprise at the gates was the unexpected appearance of the Fire Lord's niece, surrounded by four red-cloaked bodyguards that were easily more imposing than anyone else that had passed through that day. There had been no advance warning of their arrival, but one did not keep the Fire Lord's family waiting without excellent reason, so they were barely even halted. Of course, no one had actually seen her before then, but she was bearing the Fire Lord's crest, and that was something no one but a noble would have access to.

All nobles, however, were not the upstanding people they were assumed to be, and in this case, it was true three times over. Presently, the Fire Lord was entertaining the Wind Lord (Kimimaro of the Sound), and so word would not reach him of his "niece" until it was far too late to act. Sasori had many agents scattered across the land, one of whom enjoyed a comfy position in the Fire Lord's court, and had obtained a royal crest with no trouble. After that, it was a simple matter of using genjutsu to hide the appearances of the group. Kurenai made an especially convincing irritated noble: she hadn't been told that she'd also be betraying the Fire Lord until seconds before.

In this way, Konoha welcomed several of its greatest threats, and in the end, the only one that was very nearly discovered was the trio of Sound genin who got into a fistfight at the gates.

In all fairness, Kin had come all the way to Konoha with no one but her teammates for company, and she had been deprived of her Naruto fix for even longer. She was already in a foul mood, and something had possessed Zaku to comment, for no reason at all, that her butt looked big, and not in a good way.

By the time the amused Leaf guards had pulled Kin off of him, Zaku had sustained a multitude of small puncture wounds, a broken nose, a sprained wrist, and what many swore was a cracked skull, from the white substance peeking out of his hair, but was really just leftover spittle from where Kin had tried to rip his hair out with her teeth.

Kin was so angry that she hardly even noticed when one of the Fire Lord's niece's bodyguards winked and grinned at her in a strangely familiar, almost shark-like way.

* * *

_Konoha - Ichiraku Ramen - May_

Gaara was far more perceptive than most people gave him credit for. This was partially because even while Shukaku slept, the demon's senses worked perfectly fine, and tended to warn Gaara of substantial threats long before they became a real issue. But this was more one of Shukaku's automatic defenses, and less a choice, because to Gaara, the thought of a tanuki sleeping while it's ears, nose, and tail twitched continuously was less funny and more accurate.

Yugito had been the first true test of Shukaku's detection abilities. Gaara had only needed to meet the girl twice to figure out that that as things stood, he was not going to know she was coming unless she wanted him to. But that was exactly how Gaara had figured out a way around Yugito's invisibility. Yugito did not so much disappear as she made her surroundings temporarily hazy. By the time the haze had completely left the location, if there had ever been a trace of her passing, it would be long gone. So while Shukaku could not track Yugito specifically, he could easily spot areas where his senses became dulled, or picked up nothing in particular, which was always more telling than having found anything at all.

This, however, was the first time that Gaara had actively sought out Yugito for any reason, and he was pleased to find that his theory (as well as Shukaku's senses) had not failed him. It took very little time for him to locate Yugito, partially because she had gone to Ichiraku Ramen, and partially because she happened to be meeting Naruto there, which was even more convenient.

Gaara stepped through the curtain only seconds after Yugito did, and was treated to the sight of the Cloud kunoichi giving Naruto a quick but heartfelt peck on the cheek. It was clear from Naruto's blush that not only had she done so before, but that he still had no idea how to react to it. Likewise, Gaara was suddenly thankful that she hadn't tried that with him yet. He still hadn't completely recovered from when Temari had given him an impulsive, sisterly kiss on the forehead just last night.

Before she sat down next to Naruto, Yugito glanced over her shoulder at Gaara, smiled, and gestured for him to join them. There was a free seat on her right, so Gaara took it without hesitation.

It took Naruto a moment to realize Gaara was there. Once he did, the blond boy offered a tentative smile, which Gaara acknowledged with a nod. Gaara had already accepted that there would be little chance of them trying to kill each other, since Temari wasn't suddenly going to cease being important to either of them.

Yugito was saved the trouble of trying to start what would obviously be a slightly awkward conversation when Ayame emerged from the storeroom. She seemed a little surprised, having never seen her two favorite customers together (although perhaps she was just worried about how much ramen they'd put away between them and a third person). Much to Gaara's surprise, Yugito introduced herself as Naruto's sister, even pulling Naruto's head close to hers so Ayame could more clearly see the "family resemblance."

Gaara said nothing to this. He was positive that Yugito was lying, but he could also sense that for whatever reason, Naruto was going along with her little act, so there was no point to interrupting it. As much as Gaara cared for Ayame, the less people that knew the truth about Yugito, the better off they would all be. Anyway, he wasn't the one lying this time, so that made him feel slightly better about it.

"So what's next for our little... club?" Naruto asked quietly once Ayame had turned away to prepare their orders.

"Making sure the other club doesn't get the best of any of us, for one thing," Yugito was quick to add. "And it won't be easy. I'll be the first to admit I've had a lot of luck so far. My descriptions, detailed as they were, don't do them justice. That's all the more reason why we need to work together on this."

As the only one of them that hadn't had an encounter with Akatsuki, Gaara was still having a hard time grasping just how formidable these missing-nin were. The only two he'd had prior knowledge of were Itachi and Sasori, and they might have changed completely from what he'd learned. Even Naruto had only met Kisame, but from the way he'd described it, the shark man had "flattened" him (and without using his chakra-devouring sword), grinning all the while. That only made the situation more confusing, because all of Yugito's encounters had very nearly ended in her capture, yet Kisame had not even tried to catch Naruto, despite having plenty of time to do so.

"I find it difficult to accept that... Red and Blue would be partners," Gaara said, feeling quite silly about the impromptu nicknames. "They seem to have completely different personalities, and I don't think Red would ever approach a mission so half-heartedly."

Naruto shrugged. "Sometimes opposites work okay together. Look at Hinata and Sasuke." After he said it, he paused, as if wondering if Gaara hadn't just forced the two to work together.

"Despite their differences, they actually have much more in common," Gaara insisted. "But they do complement each other. Yet, from your description, Naruto, you met Blue alone. That implies that they are not so dependent on each other."

"None of them are," Yugito agreed. "But the point is that they CAN work together, which just makes things worse. None of us have trained together."

Naruto look confused. "Should we start to, then?" he asked uncertainly.

Gaara and Yugito shared a questioning glance. Neither was opposed to the idea, exactly, but it would be difficult to manage, considering they represented three different Hidden Villages and were each highly visible in their own way. There was really only one place to do it, and Yugito seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

"Sasuke won't like this," Gaara noted, sounding more amused than concerned.

"You say that like there's something he does like," Naruto grumbled.

"He likes Hinata," Yugito countered. "And seeing girls kiss, apparently," she added, winking at Gaara.

"Well, who doesn't like that?" Naruto asked without thinking.

Gaara looked away as Yugito playfully bopped Naruto over the head.

* * *

Despite his current situation, Iruka was not usually a man with such a relaxed moral view. It was true that he had been trained to kill since he was a boy, but it was also true that he had cherished his connection with each young student he had taught at Konoha's Ninja Academy.

There were certainly times when he questioned his relationship with Tayuya, but in all honesty, he had no choice. Between his heart and his cursed seal, there was just no way he could look at Tayuya and not love her. The seal wouldn't let him, and his heart... well, it wanted what it wanted, even before the seal had come into the picture.

It didn't help that Tayuya was beautiful in her own way, although it was kind of hard to spot. Between her mouth and her fists, it took a certain kind of person to appreciate her for what she really was. Iruka knew how to spot potential where others would miss it: that was part of why he'd become a teacher, and probably why he alone had been selected to shadow Naruto in Suna.

The seal was not always a hindrance, though. When it chose to, it could enhance Iruka's feelings, and in short do whatever it took to make him feel more strongly for Tayuya, whether she willed it or not. He would suddenly find himself transfixed by the way her red hair framed her face, or the look of intense concentration on her face as she practiced a new technique with her flute. Even the way her lips twisted into a snarl when she cursed at him was strangely alluring, though that was mostly the seal's doing.

Iruka was obsessed with Tayuya, and he knew it. The teacher in him wanted to show her things she had never thought possible. The ninja in him wanted to protect her at all times. But in the deepest, darkest part of himself, Iruka simply wanted her: to love her, to worship her, to possess her. At first, he had worried that he might force himself on her, but with the seal active, the only way he could was if... well, if Tayuya were into that sort of thing. And while it hadn't happened so far, he sometimes wondered if it would. Tayuya did not typically respond well to gentle touches, at least not while she was conscious.

But their relationship had progressed somewhat, despite Tayuya's best efforts. It had taken several attempts, but Tayuya had finally accepted that there were some genjutsu that Iruka knew and she didn't, so she had grudgingly allowed him to teach her, doing her best to ignore when he made flimsy excuses to touch her all the while. She also no longer minded when Iruka summoned her demons, and often had him do it so she didn't have to waste chakra. Perhaps the biggest change was their bedroom behavior. Tayuya still didn't like Iruka touching her without permission... but she often tolerated it, anyway. And while Iruka had a smart mouth, if he woke up to find Tayuya's arm draped over his chest, he would simply pull her closer and go back to sleep. It was worth it, to see the expression on Tayuya's face when they both woke up the next morning.

Even if it was mostly the seal making him love her, Iruka didn't really care. There was something in the way Tayuya treated him that assured him that the connection wasn't one-sided. She yelled at him whenever he did something dangerous, attacked him if he was thinking of doing something dangerous, and sometimes even forbid him from doing dangerous things altogether (that rarely ever worked, since Tayuya refused to bribe him with kisses like he'd suggested numerous times).

Tayuya had been especially concerned about their mission to infiltrate Konoha. She wasn't worried about someone recognizing Iruka, since they'd be using both henges and genjutsu to make sure he stayed hidden. His chakra signature had changed entirely, thanks largely to what she insisted on calling his "burnt" right arm. But the arm in question seemed to get strange twitches at random times, increasingly so the closer they got to Naruto. Iruka was convinced that it was reacting to the boy, or more precisely, to Kyuubi's presence in the boy. They had no idea what would happen if the arm ever came in contact with Naruto, but it would probably be very bad for one of them.

* * *

_Konoha - Hokage's Office - May_

"It has come to my attention," the Sandaime Hokage said slowly as he paced behind his desk, "that there will be more than a few unwelcome guests attempting to enter the village as the chuunin exams draw near. We have every reason to believe they will succeed. Therefore, we must resort to extreme measures to protect not only our own participants, but our citizens and honored guests as well."

"Of course, we will do whatever we can to assist you, Hokage-sama," Hinata said, bowing respectfully.

The Hokage did not reply as he stared at Gaara, Sasuke, and Hinata. They seemed so young to him now, even though their service records spoke for themselves. Certainly what he was about to ask of them was even further proof of how talented they were, or at least how talented he believed them to be.

"The examiners will be monitoring each of the tests closely, but their top priority will be to ensure the success of the exams. However, the second portion of the exams is the most difficult to accurately observe. I need you to pose as a genin team, and either alert the examiners to any suspicious activity, or deal with it yourselves in a quick and decisive manner."

"This means we must be present in every stage of the exams," Sasuke noted.

The Hokage smirked. "I am positive that you three will need no assistance in proceeding through the various tests. The examiners will be notified of your mission, but of course they cannot show obvious favoritism."

"Who is it you suspect we will need to watch?" Gaara asked.

"Any Sound-nin and Sand-nin present in the village."

Hinata paused. "Even Naruto?"

Sighing, the Sandaime sat down behind his desk. "Especially Naruto. I wish it were otherwise, but he has the most reason to hate us. Even if he can forgive, the Kyuubi will not let him forget. It is far too dangerous to assume that Naruto has no role in what may befall the village. Place yourself in my shoes. What do you think the Kazekage would do with the boy that is arguably the most powerful shinobi in his village?"

The question was more directed at Gaara, who frowned. "Shape him into a weapon, and unleash him on enemies."

Hinata shook her head. "Naruto wouldn't agree to that. He isn't that type of person," she insisted.

The Hokage said nothing as he unlocked a drawer in his desk, pulled out a small folder, and laid it open on the desk. Indeed, there was no need for words, once the team got a good look at the photos.

Naruto had always healed fast, but at one point the Sandaime had hoped that if the Council of Elders saw what type of horrors Konoha's people inflicted on the boy, they would be more merciful. To that end, he had photographed Naruto's wounds over the course of a single week. The pictures were brutal, and there was little doubt that no being alive deserved such punishment. But the council had been unmoved, largely because they, too, hated and feared Naruto, but mostly because some of the boy's wounds incriminated several of them.

Gaara had no visible reaction.

Hinata gasped, covered her mouth with a hand, and buried her face in Sasuke's shoulder.

Even Sasuke's respect for Naruto went up a few notches at what the boy had clearly survived.

"I am an optimist at times," the Sandaime said quietly, "but I do not dare believe that Naruto could forget or forgive these wrongs, especially when he did nothing to deserve them. He did not show you the vulnerable side of him. You do not know the horrors he has put behind him. As beneficial as the Kyuubi has been for him, Naruto does not have an absolute defense. His physical wounds may have healed, but mental scarring can be permanent. And on the night that Naruto left Konoha, he had plenty of both."

* * *

_Konoha - Dancing Leaf Hotel - Room 204 - May_

Iruka gently traced the curve of Tayuya's cheek with his finger, chuckling softly when she snorted and rolled away from him. Even in her sleep, she was disagreeable.

A single knock sounded on the door, followed by five more, and finally three.

Taking a moment to make sure his Sand-nin disguise was still in place, Iruka rose from the bed and opened the door, not at all surprised to find Kabuto and Kankurou staring back at him.

"We bring you news from the motherland," Kabuto greeted with an odd smile.

Iruka just frowned as he moved aside to let them in. He had never liked Kabuto, but the medic-nin was an evil genius if nothing else. Still, Iruka didn't care for the way Kabuto would casually say or do things that hinted at their former allegiance to Konoha. Kankurou, at least, focused entirely on the mission and little else.

The moment she sensed two additional chakra signatures in the room, Tayuya sat up in bed, glaring blearily at the visitors. "What the hell do you jack-offs want?"

Kankurou wordlessly passed a note to Iruka, who grinned as he read it. To anyone else, it was just a list of locations. To Iruka, it was a list of the places that Kankurou had seen Naruto frequent since they'd arrived in Konoha. Iruka didn't know what surprised him more: that he recalled every single place on the list, or that Naruto had clearly not changed all that much.

"I came across my mother in town," Kabuto said calmly. "I thought the Kazekage might want to know."

Kankurou very nearly rolled his eyes, but a look from Iruka stopped him. They were all supposed to be posing as Sand-nin, but it did seem a little silly to keep pretending the Kazekage was alive, when they all knew Kankurou had taken him out. On the other hand, they couldn't just toss Orochimaru's name around like they weren't being watched, either. Also, as annoying as it was to act as Kabuto's messaging service, Tayuya was one of the few disguised Sound-nin that could contact Orochimaru in a subtle way without fear of detection. It wouldn't do for any Sand-nin to be seen meeting with Sound-nin, after all.

"Any luck catching up with your friends, Kankurou?" Iruka asked.

It was common knowledge among Sound-nin that Kankurou was Sasori's apprentice, if only because no one wanted to earn Akatsuki's wrath by accidentally targeting one of their agents. Orochimaru made sure to keep his hands out of Akatsuki business, unless of course he was purposely interfering with them.

"They're around," Kankurou said simply. He had definitely sensed Sasori's presence earlier, but that was all.

Tayuya yawned and scratched her side in a very unladylike manner. "You fuckers woke me up, and you don't have anything important for me to pass along to the boss?" she demanded.

Kabuto frowned at her. "I am certain he'll want to know about my mother being here."

She snorted. "Please. If he doesn't already know, I'll eat my hat. That isn't something he would need to be told. You don't work with someone for that long without being able to know when they're near."

"Kind of like you and your boy-toy, you mean?" Kabuto asked casually.

Tayuya glared at him, her face glowing bright red.

"If we're just going to fight whenever we meet, it might be better to send messengers next time," Iruka sighed, shaking his head and placing a firm hand on Tayuya's shoulder. She calmed down, but only slightly.

"Fine with me," Kankurou said at once. He'd already come up with several disguises for Karasu to seem like various Sand, Sound, or even Leaf-nin, and was just itching to try them out.

"Great. Then let's NEVER do this again," Tayuya growled.

Kabuto smiled. "Ah, I see. We've interrupted something. Well, Tayuya-chan, please keep in mind that we still need your toys, so try not to wear them out. Dojin and Sanrei have been looking a bit... drained as of late."

The words were barely out of Kabuto's mouth when Iruka slammed him against the wall, the blackened right hand closing firmly around the medic-nin's throat.

"This arm only seems to react at certain times," Iruka muttered. "I don't really have much control over it. I guess you must've said something that offended it. So I'd be a little more careful, if I were you. Do we understand each other?"

Despite the obvious pain he was in, Kabuto managed a sinister smile. "How sweet. No wonder you're her favorite."

Iruka bared his teeth as his right hand began to tremble uncontrollably, the spasms slowly but surely crushing Kabuto's throat.

Tayuya knew she had to stop him... but she took her time getting out of the bed, walking over to Iruka, and placing her hand over his cursed seal. "Stop," she said simply.

It took a few moments for the command to sink in, either because Iruka knew that Tayuya was enjoying watching Kabuto suffer, or because he was just so angry that even Tayuya's voice couldn't reach his brain without some delay. Either way, Iruka finally released Kabuto and stepped back.

Anyone else would be dead in mere seconds. Kabuto, however, simply passed a glowing hand over his throat and smiled pleasantly. "That was fun. We should do it again sometime."

Tayuya sneered at him. "Get the fuck out." And just to make her point, she removed her hand from Iruka's seal, freeing him to do whatever he wanted.

Kabuto took the hint and nodded to Kankurou, who had seemed rather bored by the whole thing. But then, what did he care if Sound-nin killed each other? It would only make things easier for his master and Akatsuki.

Once Kabuto and Kankurou were gone, Iruka locked the door and cursed under his breath.

"You were really going to kill him," Tayuya commented quietly.

"He insulted you," Iruka snapped.

"Yeah, he does that to everyone."

"Not to you. Not anymore. Not while I'm around."

She blinked, staring at him curiously. "It doesn't mean anything. Hell, I badmouth everyone. It's the way I am."

"But it isn't the way he is," Iruka insisted, narrowing his eyes. "He doesn't respect you."

"No, but he knows the plan needs me. Besides, if I ever did something to earn Kabuto's respect, I think I'd just kill myself."

"I won't let him get away with it again. End of story."

"You're so stupid sometimes," Tayuya sighed, but there was a small smile threatening to form on her face as she turned away.

* * *

_Konoha - Uchiha Compound - May_

Naruto was a little nervous, to be quite honest. From all that he knew about Sasuke, the Uchiha compound was probably like holy ground in his eyes. Anyway, he wasn't sure Gaara's inviting him in would be enough excuse. Sasuke tended to be quite picky about damn near everything, so Naruto figured his only real hope was that was nearby when he and Sasuke finally did see each other.

Fortunately, Sasuke and Hinata were together when Naruto finally found them outside the main house. Sasuke was seated on the grass, studying a scroll that he had spread across his lap. Hinata was seated on a bench directly behind him, her fingers playing with his hair as she read over his shoulder.

It would've been cute, if it weren't so disgusting, Naruto decided. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to them, making no real effort to be quiet about it.

Predictably, Sasuke's face twitched slightly, but he only concentrated harder on the scroll, even when Naruto was standing directly in front of him.

"Look, teme," Naruto began uncertainly, "I, uh..."

"Just spit it out, Naruto," Sasuke growled. "No need to attempt being formal."

Naruto glared down at him. "Fine. I don't care if you hate me or not. I've had to deal with people hating me, for no good reason, all of my life. So I don't care if you're on that list or not. For Hinata's sake, I hope you're not, but I've got no problem treating you like I treat them."

Sasuke threw down his scroll and stood up, getting right in Naruto's face. "Let's get one thing straight. I don't hate you because of the Kyuubi. I hate you because you're an irritating ass and I don't like being around you. The fact that you have a demon sealed inside of you is probably your most redeeming quality, as far as I'm concerned."

Naruto blinked and grinned. "Fair enough, teme. I'll try not to tear up your house too bad, since Hinata has to live here, too."

"Hn." Sasuke sat back down and grabbed his scroll, effectively dismissing Naruto as he held it up in front of his face and began muttering to himself.

Hinata smiled and stepped around her cranky husband. "Please consider yourself a welcome guest in our home, Naruto-kun... despite all appearances to the contrary." With that, she gave him a big hug.

Naruto was a little startled, especially when Hinata reached up to stroke his hair in a decidedly motherly way. "Um, thanks, Hinata." He gently pushed her away, wondering if her whole family was this weird. Before he could give the matter anymore thought, Yugito suddenly appeared, grabbed his hand, and began dragging him around the side of the house.

"Come on, we've got training to do!" Yugito ordered.

"Uh, see you guys later!" Naruto shouted, doing his best to interrupt Sasuke's reading. He just barely avoided a fireball with a shuriken hidden inside it.

"Isn't it nice to have a family again, Sasuke-kun?" Hinata asked.

Sasuke said nothing as he grabbed her hand and placed it back into his hair. After a few seconds, she started playing with his hair again, and he sighed contentedly and went back to his scroll. He still hated Itachi, but suddenly the idea of killing off a bunch of annoying people didn't seem as crazy as it once had.

* * *

_Konoha - Dancing Leaf Hotel - Fire Lord's Suite - May_

Kurenai understood that she wasn't going to be left alone, but upon learning that both Itachi and Kisame intended on spending the night in the same room as her, she had safeguarded her bed with practically every genjutsu and trap that she knew.

Kisame had watched the process with great amusement, while Itachi had been raiding the mini-fridge in the corner. He seemed especially addicted to fruits and vegetables, which Kurenai assumed he ate for the sake of his eyesight. She wasn't sure how it was failing, though, since he'd displayed absolutely no problems seeing so far, but she could think of no other reason why he would prove so fanatic about certain foods.

"You're flattering yourself, you know," Kisame said once Kurenai was done.

"You said you'd keep me in good health," Kurenai replied stiffly. "We never agreed on what that included. And I do believe you mentioned hurling me through a tree at one point."

"That was only if you tried to escape, and you haven't... so far."

"I prefer to be as prepared as is possible."

Kisame snorted. "Fat lot of good that's done you so far."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, I doubt very many ninja are prepared to handle a single S-class threat, much less a whole gang of them."

"Oh, now YOU'RE flattering ME," Kisame chuckled. "I thought you wanted me to stay on my side, and now you're flirting with me? You're sending mixed signals, honey."

Kurenai instantly drew a kunai, her face nearly purple with rage.

"Relax. I pride myself on never having had to force a woman into anything with violence. The mere threat of violence works better, I find. Now, why don't you use those crazy eyes of yours on me, and tell me what you see?"

Reluctantly, Kurenai activated her Hachuugan, and was more than a little startled by what she found. She had seen the Kyuubi's chakra, years ago, and had never quite forgotten it. Kisame's was definitely similar, although nowhere near as violent and fast-paced... although that might only have been because he was just sitting at the moment.

"You... have demonic chakra?" Kurenai gasped, then wished she hadn't when Itachi looked over his shoulder at them.

"Is that really something you want to risk her sharing with someone else, Kisame?" Itachi asked.

Kurenai gaped at him. So Akatsuki, or at least Itachi, knew about this, and did nothing? Why? Weren't they hunting demons?

Kisame grinned at her. "You probably don't think of this when you see demonic chakra, but there are more than just nine demons out there. There as many different kinds as there are humans. I'm just not one of the greater demons, so I'm not a target."

"Then what are you?"

"The demon that's keeping you alive, my pretty, and that's all you need to know."

Itachi stood up. "Answer the door," he said, looking pointedly at Kurenai before going into the bathroom and closing the door.

The moment Kurenai stood up, there was a knock on the door.

"I hate it when he does that, too, but it's damn useful," Kisame admitted.

Shaking her head, Kurenai went to the door and slowly pulled it open, only to get the shock of her life.

On the other side of the doorframe, staring up at her nervously, wearing a blue Yamanaka Flower Shop apron, and clutching a huge bouquet of red flowers, was Haruno Sakura. "It is my honor to welcome you to Konoha, Ruki-hime. We at Yamanaka Flower Shop hope you greatly enjoy your stay."

**End of Chapter 24.**

* * *

hime: princess

I'm pretty sure this Yamanaka Clan plot is probably slightly recycled.

I may be over-estimating Tayuya's skill with genjutsu. BUT, considering how infrequently ANYONE uses genjutsu, I might just be right, after all.

To be clear, Sasuke still hates Naruto, but for entirely different reasons now.

I tried to write certain scenes while keeping in mind that the Sandaime has that crystal ball in his office, Orochimaru assumedly knows about it, and would tell his troops as much.


	25. The Imprisoned Princess

Notes: I've decided not to totally write off the manga as a lost cause. There are some recent developments that can actually work for this story (after taking some artistic license, of course). So I take back only one thing I said earlier: Konan does exist, but at the moment, there are still only ten active members of Akatsuki, with Hatsumi being the only female (recall that Kurenai doesn't count).

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 25: The Imprisoned Princess**

* * *

Sakura was more than a little nervous. Because Ino was... not well, Yamanaka Inoichi was depending on Sakura more than ever to help out, both with Ino and the flower shop. Normally, Sakura had no problem with this: she liked working with flowers, and rarely were people upset to get them.

But this latest delivery was a big deal. The Sandaime Hokage himself had stopped by the shop and placed an order. Apparently, Princess Ruki had wanted to keep her presence in Konoha very low profile, so she had refused any offer to meet with him and checked into a hotel under a different name. Still, it would be the height of rudeness if he didn't attempt to welcome the Fire Lord's niece somehow, so the Hokage had asked for the flowers to be delivered anonymously.

Already, Sakura had been worried about behaving properly in front of a noble. Much as she loved Kiba, sometimes she displayed some of his less flattering traits without really thinking about it, such as shouting or beating people into submission (okay, she'd done that even BEFORE Kiba, but it happened more frequently now).

Security at the hotel only made Sakura even more nervous. She'd had to show her identification three times just to find out what floor the princess was staying on, and the bouquet was checked a grand total of five times before Sakura got it up to the room. Maybe the general public didn't know Princess Ruki was around, but every guard for miles around sure seemed to.

By the time Sakura knocked on the princess's door, she was sorely tempted to just shove the flowers at whoever answered and go home. But the thought of what that might mean for relations between the Hokage and the Fire Lord stopped her. She already stood out enough just for having pink hair; she didn't also want to be known as the girl that had caused Konoha to lose all of its funding.

At last, the door opened, and Sakura got her first look at Princess Ruki. Sakura had never seen an authentic princess (and didn't realize that she still hadn't), but she was impressed. Princess Ruki was quite striking, with her long, blue hair, and her bright green eyes. It hardly even seemed to matter that she was just wearing a tight red top and matching shorts, because she looked stunning, anyway. Sakura thought nothing of it; from all indications, Ruki didn't exactly enjoy all the attention she got as a princess, so it made sense that she wouldn't go around dressed as one if she didn't absolutely have to.

Wanting to get this over with quickly, Sakura plastered her "work smile" across her face and gave the princess her standard honored guest delivery greeting.

This was met with mixed results.

At first, Ruki seemed shocked, almost horrified to see her, probably fearing that some crazy fan had tracked her down. But as Sakura spoke, she noticed that the princess looked relieved, and then delighted.

"Please, come in," the princess said with a smile that seemed unnaturally wide.

Sakura followed Ruki into the suite, and the very first thing she noticed was Ruki's very large bodyguard staring at her with undisguised suspicion and hostility. Of course, he probably wouldn't be a very effective bodyguard if he wasn't at least a little mean and scary, but Sakura purposely stayed close to the princess, just in case.

"You can just set them down on the table, dear," Ruki said, indicating a coffee table near the couch.

Sakura did as she was told and turned to leave, but the princess touched her shoulder.

"Wait, I haven't tipped you yet."

"Oh, it's really not necessary," Sakura said at once. "You don't have to-"

"You're not going to refuse a princess, are you, Sakura?"

This should not have surprised Sakura. Her work apron clearly had her name printed on the front for easy identification. But there was something in the princess's tone that was all too familiar. Yet the only sign Sakura gave of recognition was a slow blink, because something told her that was even more important than what she'd just realized.

"No, of course not," she replied, waiting patiently as the princess took out far too much money and pressed it into Sakura's hand.

"That's for being such a sweetie," Ruki said, winking and pinching Sakura's cheek.

Sakura forced a smile and thanked the princess, wincing and rubbing her cheek as she walked out of the suite. It was only when the door closed behind her that Sakura recalled that pinching had always been Kurenai's preferred pain-centered way of bringing her out of genjutsu (there much more painful ways, and Kurenai kept her nails sharp as a reminder of this, and that she was being quite merciful by comparison).

Sakura's mind raced as she walked down the hall and stepped into the elevator. She reached into her pocket and fingered the money there, frowning as she came across something that clearly wasn't money. Her hand pulled out a single piece of hard candy. Even through the white wrapper, Sakura instantly recognized it. It was a somewhat morbid treat popularized by the Uchiha, made to resemble a Sharingan eye. It was a curious blend of sweet and sour that Sakura had never cared for (nor had anyone else she'd asked), yet she and nearly everyone in the village had bought them in large quantities, just because the Uchiha had made them. Now, though, Kurenai was the only person Sakura knew of that still had any saved up, and she had confessed to only using the horrid taste to keep herself awake during long missions.

It was a safe bet, then, that Princess Ruki had not managed to buy the candy during her visit, because there were no stores that sold it anymore.

By the time she reached the lobby, Sakura had popped the candy into her mouth. She hadn't suddenly developed a taste for it, though. No, Sakura needed the terrible flavor just then, in order to confirm that she was not having a nightmare. Unfortunately, the candy on her tongue confirmed what Sakura had begun to fear on the way down: that her beautiful, wise, and kind sensei had been captured, and that Sakura had to figure out how to rescue her.

However, Sakura was so busy looking underneath the underneath that she completely missed what was on top: mainly, that Kurenai had not only used the candy to confirm her own identity, but that of one of her kidnappers.

* * *

_Konoha - Uchiha Compound - June_

Despite the scowl on her face, Hanabi was actually very happy at the moment.

Still, it was a bit annoying that none of her hits so far had had any impact on her opponent. She might as well have been playing a spirited game of pattycake with him... and from the grin on his face, maybe she was.

"C'mon, don't give up so soon, Hanabi-chan!" Naruto said loudly, giving her an encouraging smile. "You might actually hurt me this time!"

Growling under her breath, Hanabi came at him again, lashing out with her usual precision and speed. But once again, Naruto simply pushed back her fingers with the palms of his hands, that same idiotic grin never leaving his face. In this manner, they danced across the grass, Hanabi never coming any closer to actually hitting him, and Naruto graciously not embarrassing her any further by just holding her back with one hand and stifling a yawn with the other while she swung away fruitlessly. He might as well have, though, because by the time Hanabi stopped, her face was flushed from both effort and embarrassment.

It wasn't exactly a fair sparring match, of course. Naruto was an actual ninja, while Hanabi, thanks to the usual Hyuuga politics, would enter Konoha's Ninja Academy a year late, breeze through the advanced class, and more than likely graduate in a single year, if that long. It wasn't as though there was anything taught in the Academy that Hanabi hadn't already learned from her clan tutors, but people (and more importantly, the Council of Elders) muttered when you skipped the standard shinobi education entirely. At the very least, Hanabi was required to pretend she was learning something from the Academy.

Beyond that, she could tell that Naruto was also using Kyuubi's chakra, first to reopen the chakra channels she'd managed to close, and later to block the effects entirely. Hanabi didn't even need her eyes to confirm this. It was the only real explanation, and Naruto's hands did seem especially warm when she touched them.

"This is pointless," she said at last, plopping down on the grass and turning away from him in frustration.

"It isn't," Naruto insisted, sitting down beside her and draping an arm around her slumped shoulders. "I'm learning how to block Gentle Fist, and you're learning... um... that I'm better than you!"

Hanabi shot him a dirty look, even though she knew he was just teasing.

Naruto grinned and patted her head fondly. "It's important to fight people stronger than you. It's a good way to improve and learn your own faults. At least, that's what Yugito says."

Blinking a few times, Hanabi stared at him curiously. "I thought you said you didn't want to train against her?"

"Well, I didn't," Naruto replied, scratching his head, "but I got tired of her knocking me on my butt when I said no, and Kyojuu kept laughing at me, so..."

"Did you win?" Hanabi asked.

"It's not about win-"

"So no, then."

Naruto glared at her. "We don't fight to win. We fight until she stops to make a point. When I am winning, though, she doesn't stop as much."

Hanabi paused to consider what he had told her, and what he hadn't. From all indications, Yugito and Kyojuu sparred all the time, and it had taken both Naruto and Gaara some time to get used to training with them. Gaara wasn't used to fighting someone just as or more powerful then him, and Naruto didn't want to hurt Yugito or someone that reminded him so much of Kiba. But they'd clearly gotten over it, because the entire group would vanish for hours at a time, only to return covered in dirt or with their clothes ripped and smoking (this didn't apply to Gaara, but he would actually be sweating heavily, which was new for him).

When they weren't training, Naruto was, amazingly enough, usually with Gaara. More than once, Hanabi heard them exchanging stories about their pasts. Gaara didn't even seem to mind when Naruto touched him without thinking, unless they were fighting at the moment. Naruto had clearly taken the whole "brother" idea fairly seriously, and for whatever reason, Gaara hadn't bothered to correct him. It was odd but good to see them together, and Hanabi hoped that their new bond was a sign that she was doing the right thing. Gaara did not make friends easily, and the fact that he accepted Naruto so quickly had erased much of the tension between Gaara's squad and his siblings (although Sasuke and Naruto still clashed every day, if only with words).

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something," Naruto said suddenly.

Hanabi glanced at him curiously. "What?"

"What are you hiding under here?" he asked, poking at her headband. "I know you're not a kunoichi yet, but you always have it on. So either you're in denial, which you're too smart for, or you've got something you don't want people to see under there."

With almost anyone else, Hanabi would've at least hesitated, and at the most outright refused to say a word. Why, then, her hands were already lifting up her headband before she realized it, even she couldn't say for certain. There had only ever been two people she had that much trust in: Hinata and Gaara, and neither of them had seen her seal yet. But she had never felt threatened by Naruto, despite knowing how powerful he most likely was.

Naruto didn't say anything as he stared at the black, star-shaped seal on her forehead. It was very small, just barely bigger than her thumb, but it had taken hours to apply in her mirror. As simple as it looked, the seal's application was actually something no one below jounin should have ever attempted, and without her mother's careful guidance, Hanabi most likely would've accidentally destroyed her own mind in the process.

"What does it do?" he asked after several moments.

"It makes my life easier." She paused and frowned. "The same as Gaara's newer one... and the opposite of yours, I guess."

Naruto grinned. "Uh, actually, I think everybody's a lot better off without Kyuubi and Shukaku running loose, Hanabi-chan."

"But are you?"

He shrugged. "It hasn't ALL been bad. When the fox isn't complaining or cursing or insulting me, he's actually a great teacher. Well, great in that he knows stuff nobody else does, not so great in that he usually laughs if I don't get a jutsu perfect on the first try..."

"What does he think of me?" Hanabi asked.

There was a long pause. "Hanabi-chan, Kyuubi rarely has an opinion on anything that isn't a threat. And if he does, it's usually nothing I'd share with anyone, especially not someone your age."

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "I'd be more worried if he did like me, Naru nii-chan."

"Oh." Naruto blinked. "In that case, he thinks you smell like want."

She stared at him expectantly.

"You want something, you go and get it," Naruto clarified. "Also... um, he thinks you want Gaara."

Hanabi blinked. "Why does he think that?" she asked in a completely calm tone.

Naruto frowned. "Hey, wait! You DO want him?"

"I never said that."

"You didn't deny it!"

"I don't see how it's any of your business," Hanabi replied. "They're my feelings."

"But, Hanabi-chan, do you know what you're getting into? He might never-"

"I'm aware," Hanabi interrupted firmly.

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "I just don't want you to get hurt. I mean, you know he and Ayame are kinda... well..."

"My Byakugan may not work normally, but I am not blind."

"So then why are you-"

"Naru nii-chan," Hanabi said quietly. "Please. I don't want to talk about this. With you, or anyone else. It's my business and no one else's."

There was an awkward silence for several moments, until Naruto coughed loudly.

"I could, um, talk to him for you. If you want."

Hanabi eyed him doubtfully. "And what would you say, exactly?"

Naruto hesitated. "The, er... paleness of your skin really... brings out your eyes?"

"Remind me never to let you help me," Hanabi sighed, shaking her head.

"Hey, it's not my fault! Gaara's the one that wouldn't pick up on things like that! I mean, anyone can see you're cute, but it would never occur to Gaara to DO anything about that, so I just thought we could at least get him thinking about it!"

"Thinking about what?" Gaara asked as he suddenly appeared behind them.

"GAARA!" Naruto shouted in shock as he jumped to his feet. "How long have you been there?!"

"Not long," Gaara responded, glancing at each of them before settling his attention on Naruto. "Temari has returned from her shopping trip. She wants you to try on something she bought for you. She has also threatened to 'brain you with her fan if you don't get your narrow little-'"

"I think I get the message," Naruto laughed weakly. "I'll just leave you two to, uh... TALK." He nodded and gave Hanabi an exaggerated wink, which she pointedly ignored.

"There's something wrong with him," Gaara decided after Naruto had run off. "Beyond the usual, I mean."

"He means well." Hanabi glanced up at Gaara, noticing he was staring off into the distance. "How much did you hear?"

"Only what I repeated," Gaara answered. "I wasn't actually focused on your conversation. There was something else on my mind."

"Oh? What?"

"Death."

Hanabi blinked several times. "What about it?"

"What would happen, when I died." Gaara closed his eyes. "Is that something people normally think about?"

"Sometimes," Hanabi admitted. "But you're not going to die, Gaara. Why even bother thinking about it?"

"You sound sure of that."

"I AM sure," she insisted. "You aren't going to die."

There was a strange expression on Gaara's face as he looked down at her. "And if I chose to? Tomorrow? Or even today?"

"Why would you?" Hanabi whispered, a hint of worry creeping into her voice.

"Death can be useful," Gaara stated, "if it occurs at a proper time and place."

"What do you mean?"

He shook his head slowly. "You are not the person I should be discussing this with. I suppose I am just too comfortable speaking with you, Hanabi."

"That's not such a bad thing, is it?" she asked, leaning against his leg slightly.

Gaara made no attempt to move away from her. "No. No, it is not."

* * *

_Konoha - The Hatake's Apartment - June_

Many women had passed through the hands of Hatake Kakashi over the years. Most of them had been at least remotely near his age. All of them had been after only one thing, which he had been more than happy to give. So, currently, he was a bit out of his depth.

"I have to be honest, little lady. I've never really done this before. Well, not with someone so very young. I'll do my best to be gentle, but, well, sometimes a man forgets himself in a moment of passion, and-"

"WOULD YOU STOP MAKING THIS SOUND LIKE A TRASHY ROMANCE NOVEL?!" Ino shouted, throwing a book at his head.

Kakashi moved his head slightly to left, letting the book sail harmlessly past him. "I could've sworn your father brought you here to work on genjutsu, not projectile weapons."

"I know why I'm here! Do YOU?!" she demanded angrily.

"Um, right. Let's get started. Hit me with your best shot." With that, Kakashi plopped down on the couch.

Ino was just about to start when she noticed he was taking out a small, orange book. "What are you doing?"

"Don't mind me," Kakashi said, burying his nose in the book with a slight giggle.

Ino recognized the book only because she'd caught her father reading it years ago. He had promptly given her "The Talk," at the end of which he sent them both to their rooms to recover. On some level, Ino never really had, because the thought of her father even thinking about sex, even though it had led to her birth, still made her feel weird. But even he had tried to hide the book from her after that. For Kakashi to be so bold as to read it in front of her... that called for a special kind of punishment.

Smirking, Ino's hands quickly flew through what had become familiar seals over the past month. "Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique)!"

As far as genjutsu went, it was fairly simple in execution, although the more experience one had in it, the more powerful it became. All the technique really did was exploit some fear that the target had, whether the caster was familiar with it or not. It was a very versatile jutsu, and in many cases, the only genjutsu that some ninja ever bothered to learn. After all, everyone feared something.

However, Ino did not take into account that her father had brought her to Kakashi because he was far more skilled at genjutsu than her. Nor did she stop to consider that the reason Kakashi seemed so unconcerned with her attack was that he could repel it effortlessly. But Ino's greatest oversight, which she could not really be blamed for, was that she knew next to nothing about the Sharingan, and was not even aware that Kakashi possessed it.

Kakashi could have easily just broken the genjutsu before it even took effect, and all without even looking up from his book. But he was curious as to why Inoichi had called in this favor, and what Ino might truly be afraid of. So he casually lifted his headband with one finger, revealing his single Sharingan, and stared straight at Ino.

Ino's body stiffened as the room was suddenly plunged into darkness. She could sense what had happened, knew it was possible, and did her best to prepare herself for what was soon to come. She could try to escape, but more than likely the only way she'd get out was when Kakashi allowed her to.

Her heart began to pound as she sensed movement all around her. Ino reached for a kunai, ready to defend herself from the men that still haunted her occasionally. So she was greatly shocked when it was not them, but Sakura who stepped out of the darkness.

"Ino, hi! Look, I know we were supposed to hang out today, but something came up. My team has a mission, and we'll be gone for a while. You know how it goes... at least, you used to. Um, anyway, I promise we'll do something when I get back, okay?"

"Don't bother, Sakura-chan," Kiba snorted as he appeared beside her. "I know she's your friend, but you don't have to explain yourself to a civilian. It's a bad habit to get into, anyway. She doesn't have the right clearance anymore, remember?"

Ino frowned. "But... I'm not a civilian! I'm a kunoichi! Why would you say that?"

"Maybe you were once, but that was then," Kiba replied, sounding the tiniest bit sympathetic. "You retired early, remember? You never really recovered from... y'know. Lots of people can't."

"You know it's not personal, Ino," Sakura said softly. "But your father asked us to give you some space, so you wouldn't have to see too much of that lifestyle."

Ino glared at them. "You mean a ninja lifestyle. But it's MY lifestyle, too! I'm still-"

"Told you, you gave that up a long time ago," Kiba interrupted. "You can't go back, Ino. Just leave it to us and move on. That's all you can do, really."

"No... NO!" Ino shouted, clamping her hands over her ears. "You're wrong! You're all wrong! I can still fight! I'm not going to quit being a kunoichi! I CAN STILL FIGHT!!!"

"I never said you couldn't," Kakashi replied calmly.

Ino slowly opened her eyes. The darkness and the visions of her friends were gone. There was only Kakashi and his couch. He was staring at her strangely, his one exposed eye not blinking at all.

"I don't doubt that you lack the will to fight," he continued. "But I wonder what your motivation is. Honestly, you surprise me. I expected you to imagine your attackers. But it seems that your most pressing fear, for the moment, is having to stop being a kunoichi. I wonder if you can tell me why, Ino. And keep in mind, your answer will determine what my final decision is. Your father has basically asked me to determine whether you are fit to compete in the chuunin exams. I can tell already that you can fight, in fact, perhaps you do that too well, from what I've heard. But I need to know if your mind is in the right place. So tell me why this is so important to you."

"It's... my life," Ino whispered. "I know I got hurt, that I was in harm's way, because I'm a kunoichi. But... being a kunoichi has brought me more good things than bad. It gave me friends, helped me get closer to my father, and it makes me feel strong. If I had just been a normal girl, and I had been... attacked, I'd be in much worse shape. At least my training protected my mind somewhat. But if I lose this... if I have to give it up... I'm nothing. I don't exist unless I'm a kunoichi. And if I quit... it means that they've beaten me, that I let those bastards ruin my life, and I won't let that happen!"

"Why did you see Shikamaru as a threat?" Kakashi asked quietly.

Lowering her head, Ino stared at the floor. "I guess... it was the shadow. Or maybe feeling helpless. I know he had no way of knowing, since I never talk about it with him, but... it was an accident. It wasn't just a random thing, or even premeditated. I just... reacted. I didn't WANT to hurt him, I just-"

"Needed to defend yourself," Kakashi finished. "I'm hoping this won't be a recurring problem. Obviously, your teammates wouldn't be attacking you during the exams. But you still have to train, and if this does happen again, it could mean-"

"I know," Ino sighed. "If it... happens again, I won't argue. I'll just... back off, and maybe train by myself, or-"

"If this happens again," Kakashi interrupted, "I'll have no choice but to recommend that you have your head examined."

Ino froze. "What does THAT mean?!"

"Maybe I phrased it a bit crudely," Kakashi sighed. "It's really not much different from what they do with patients admitted to the hospital. But instead of using chakra to scan your body for injuries, they'd have someone peer into your mind, see if they could spot any problems. Not to worry, we have people who specialize in that sort of thing, and your father knows almost all of them personally. He'll be able to select someone that can treat you gently. I know for certain there's a member of the Hyuuga Branch House that usually deals with any children we come across on the battlefield."

"Do you... think I'm crazy?" Ino asked quietly.

"No, Ino. I think you've been hurt, and you instinctively lash out when you feel threatened. That's not so different from most shinobi, to tell you the truth. It's saved my life a couple of times, in fact. But the problem is you're not always being threatened, and if you can't tell the difference between Shikamaru and an enemy, we can't just have you on active duty like nothing's wrong. But I don't want to see you give up, either. So assuming you don't run into any problems, I'm going to suggest that you be allowed to participate in the chuunin exams. But that's assuming that either your teammates agree, or that another team has an open slot. Have you talked to them since the accident?"

Ino shook her head. "No. I couldn't face them."

"Then maybe it's time you did."

* * *

Not many people realized it, but Temari actually had three professions, all of which she took very seriously. She was the eldest child of the Yondaime Kazekage (a job she would've liked very much to have gotten paid for, especially for pain and suffering), a wind mistress and Sand kunoichi in good standing, and perhaps most importantly to her, Naruto's big sister. The last was less a job and more a sworn duty, but because it was one of the few things Temari actually enjoyed doing, she was especially serious about it.

From the start, she had been suspicious of this Yugito person. Maybe it was simple jealousy because of Naruto's fascination with Yugito, or because Hanabi, who had seemed to know everything about Konoha, knew nothing about Yugito. And when GAARA, of all people, had said that Yugito was someone he trusted, it only made Temari want to know more.

Naruto, for some reason, resented any implication that Yugito was not exactly what she said she was. They'd actually had several small fights about it already, the last of which had escalated to the point where Temari whacked Naruto with her fan, and he, for the first time either of them had ever been able to recall, had struck her in anger, without Kyuubi being involved. It was just a glancing blow on the arm, one she could've easily avoided, but she'd just been so surprised. So had Naruto, because he'd immediately apologized, despite not having even broken the skin. Temari had forgiven him and promised that she was fine, but it had left things awkward and tense between them ever since.

It wasn't even that Temari felt like Yugito was a bad person, exactly. It was just that she could sense Yugito was not being truthful about something that related to Naruto, most likely being his long-lost sister. Temari had asked Naruto several times to have Kyuubi compare the scents of their blood. Each time, Naruto had refused, so either he'd done it already and didn't want to share the findings, or he just didn't want to know the truth. Either way, Temari understood his reluctance. If there was one thing that Naruto would hate to lose, it was family, and he clearly didn't want to lose a sister just after finding her. It was, in fact, entirely possible that he already knew Yugito was not what she claimed to be, and simply hadn't admitted it to himself.

But Temari was not so easily satisfied. She spent a great deal of time following Yugito around, asking her questions, and even following her in secret. Yugito did not seem the least bit bothered by this, and even made a point of inviting Temari along when she was going somewhere.

Yugito's supposed origin story was this: shortly after her birth, her father had left her in the care of the Raikage, who had immediately sealed the Nibi no Nekomata inside of her. Whether he had done this with or without her father's consent was unclear. At any rate, she'd lost track of her parents after that, but assumed they'd come to Konoha, where Naruto had been born. Temari found it highly unlikely that any two people would just go around popping out babies to have demons sealed in them, but Yugito's response had been both revealing and worrying.

"I take it there aren't many powerful bloodlines in Suna, then. Temari-san, do you have any idea how much a good, strong bloodline is worth? Look at the way people around here treat Sasuke. There are Kages that would pay any price to have that type of power for their villages. Not just anyone can survive having a greater demon sealed in them, you know."

Sadly, it did make sense to Temari. Gaara had practically lost his mind as a result of his sealing, and he had inherited no bloodline that she knew of. But even if he'd had one, it was unlikely to have helped him. There was only so much an unborn child could survive, after all. But the idea that Yugito's parents might have sold her to the Raikage was just a bit unsettling, as was the implication that they might have done the same with Naruto. It only made Temari more determined to find out the truth, no matter what.

* * *

Tsunade had many fond memories of her old sensei. The moment she'd turned sixteen, he'd bought her her very first drink. At the time, they'd been on a mission far from home, and Jiraiya had very nearly gotten himself killed, again. Much as she yelled at him, Tsunade cared deeply for both of her teammates, and her sensei had known that. So to ease her mind, and celebrate her birthday, he'd introduced her to sake.

Years later, he had been the main one to comfort her when she'd foolishly chosen Orochimaru to be the love of her life, and made the even greater mistake of telling him so. What had always surprised her most was that Orochimaru had merely smiled, taken her hand in oddly affectionate manner (he had never enjoyed being touched), and said, "You have no idea how happy that makes me, Tsunade-hime."

A week after that, Tsunade had walked away with a broken heart, and what she still considered a very much stolen first time. It wasn't that Orochimaru had been forceful, or even twisted about it. It was that he had been strangely caring and passionate during the moment, but afterwards, he had lost all interest in Tsunade, and made no attempt to conceal that fact. Ironically, though Jiraiya had always been the first to say that Orochimaru was no good for her, she had immediately gone to his house, dragged him out into the street, and beaten him to a bloody pulp. And for the first and only time, Jiraiya had made no attempt to escape, because he could see the pain and rage in her eyes, and knew what must have happened. Afterwards, she had dragged him to the hospital for healing, and Jiraiya had given her a firm hug, telling her everything would be fine, even though it never was again.

Their teamwork had ended at that point, but each came across a newfound motivation, one that would propel them into being three of Konoha's greatest ninja. No one knew exactly what drove Orochimaru. Perhaps he was just happy that he alone could boast he had taken Tsunade's virginity, but as far as she knew, he'd never told anyone. Tsunade had promised herself that she'd become strong enough so that no man would ever take advantage of her again. Jiraiya had sworn never to sit by while someone he cared for chose the wrong path, though no one was sure whether this referred to Orochimaru, Tsunade, or both.

Tsunade hadn't fully appreciated it at the time, but even as Hokage, her sensei had gone out of his way to support her endeavors. Many times he was guilty of playing favorites, but no one dared to call him on it, simply because to go against the Sannin was to go against Konoha. Still, Tsunade often butted heads with the old man, either because he favored Orochimaru above his other students, or because he had again failed to persuade the council into ensuring that every team had a qualified medic-nin. Their arguments were nearly as legendary as they were, and often Jiraiya had to pull her away with an offer of a drink on him.

But the longer her sensei remained Hokage, the more he began to make decisions "for the good of the village." It was not that these weren't good decisions, it was just that Tsunade believed he never would've made them, had he still been the same man that had trained her. And even though he still made time to talk with her about old times, Tsunade had convinced herself the man she thought of as her sensei had faded to nothingness, in order to make way for the Sandaime Hokage, a well-meaning but imposing stranger. She would never admit it, but that was one of several reasons that had convinced her to leave the village.

For as much as Konoha gave to its inhabitants, it also stole from them, and the things it took were almost always impossible to get back.

* * *

_Konoha - Aburame Compound - June_

Shino had never exactly said that his teammates weren't welcome in his home. At the same time, he had never given any sort of implication that they were, either. Thankfully, Sakura had gotten the hint (and later told Kiba), so Shino never had to say anything.

On the other hand, they'd still needed to know where he lived, in case of emergencies, so he'd reluctantly told them, trusting that Sakura would keep Kiba from just coming over whenever he felt like it.

Naturally, when Shino looked up from bug collecting in his backyard to see Sakura, Kiba, and Akamaru running towards him, he correctly assumed that something was very wrong.

Sakura had quickly told him of the mess their sensei was in, while Kiba just sort of stood there growling. Akamaru appeared to be the calmest, as he just sat at Sakura's feet, calm but alert.

"So what do you think we should do, Shino-kun?" Sakura asked after she was done explaining things. "How do we save Kurenai-sensei?" That she would ask his opinion was not really surprising; while both were recognized as being very intelligent, Shino had a better head for strategy, while Sakura was more book smart (assuming said books were not on bugs and wildlife, in which case the advantage went back to Shino).

"We," Shino said firmly, "will not do anything at the moment, Sakura. You have provided far fewer details than you normally would have, which leads me to believe that they were not readily available."

Sakura blushed slightly at the indirect compliment. There was a time when Shino would've just assumed that she'd overlooked something. Now, though, he had confidence in her powers of analysis, and did not second-guess her observations without excellent reason.

"For example, to your knowledge, only one man is holding our sensei hostage. But there could easily be several or many more, and we don't even know the abilities of the one. Kurenai-sensei is a jounin, and no one less than a jounin could capture her. Yet this person could easily be above that level. If we tried to handle this ourselves, we would most likely be killed, or worse, Kurenai-sensei could be killed. This matter is beyond our abilities. We must inform someone that is far more skilled than ourselves."

"Who?" Kiba demanded. "ANBU? The Hokage?"

"No," Shino answered. "ANBU would have to report back to the Hokage, and he might be forced to declare Kurenai-sensei a missing-nin, given the unclear circumstances. This must be handled quietly, by people whose top priority is rescuing her."

Sakura's eyes lit up. "Asuma and Kakashi!"

"Don't forget his nutbag wife Anko," Kiba added.

"Gaara might be willing to help," Shino pointed out.

Sakura and Kiba both stared at him blankly.

Shino sighed. "Kakashi and Anko are his adoptive parents. He will most likely care about anyone they care about, or at least be willing to aid them."

Sakura and Kiba traded uneasy looks, but neither was willing to speak a word against Gaara anymore. Despite all the rumors, no one could deny that Gaara and his squad got results. Sasuke and Hinata were easily stronger than any of the rookie genin that had graduated with them, and if Ino was to be believed, Gaara might even be stronger than Asuma.

"Well, if we do involve him, you're gonna be the one that tells him," Kiba said at last.

"Should we really keep depending on him?" Sakura asked quietly. "He can't fight all of our battles for us."

"True," Shino agreed, "but once again, this is not a situation where we would be successful. A single mistake could cost Kurenai-sensei her life. We must step aside and leave her rescue to more experienced shinobi. Our strengths lie more in the realm of stealth and detection, so delivering this information to the right people is all we can do."

* * *

_Konoha - Nara Nature Preserve - June_

One of Ino's earliest memories was feeding the deer that the Nara Clan kept on their land. She had done so nearly every weekend for six or seven years, until she found out that some people delighted in eating the poor creatures (thankfully, the Akimichi were not among them... well, not frequently). After that, she'd never been able to enjoy it quite the same, and her father had stopped taking her... to see the deer, that is.

However, Ino was encouraged to spend time with the Nara themselves, especially Shikaku, Shikamaru's father. He had been a constant figure in Ino's childhood, as she was often left with him when her own father was away on a mission. Shikaku was a horrible babysitter: he'd let Ino do whatever she wanted, and was an instant hit with her because of it. At the same time, he was an excellent guardian: he killed anyone who tried to put their hands on Inoichi's little girl, as Ino and an unfortunate Rock-nin had learned firsthand. Shikaku had strangled the would-be kidnapper right in front of her, and his face had not changed at all from the slightly bored expression he usually wore. If it had, Ino might have been afraid. Instead, she felt completely safe, and from then on took great delight in holding onto Shikaku's long fingers whenever they went out.

That had all been years ago, though. The most contact Ino had had with Shikaku before the Land of Waves mission was when he came into the flower shop. Even then, they'd only exchanged a few pleasantries, and he would pat her head in a way that she found more annoying than affectionate before wandering off. Had Ino given this more thought, she would've realized that he never bought anything, only ever came in during her shifts, and sometimes sent Shikamaru to shadow her instead.

Now, though, Shikaku and several other men in her life were giving her plenty of space. Ino appreciated it, but she could not imagine him being a threat to her: she knew him too well, and even considered him extended family. Perhaps the only reason she hadn't visited him recently was because of her attacking Shikamaru, but she could not imagine him holding a grudge, either.

Ino found Shikaku in the usual place: sitting on a large rock in the middle of the preserve, watching over the deer. It was easy to see where Shikamaru got his laziness from: Shikaku didn't seem to have a care in the world, and to anyone who didn't know him, he would've looked half-asleep. But Ino knew the moment his eyes slowly opened and slid in her direction that he had sensed her coming long before.

"Hey, Ino-chan," he said casually, giving her a lazy wave. "Haven't seen you around in a while."

"Sorry, Shika-oji," she apologized, giving him a quick hug. "I've had a lot on my mind lately. Um, is Shikamaru around?"

Shikaku nodded. "Yeah, I sent him on his rounds. He should be back soon."

Ino bit her lip nervously. "Do you... think he'd talk to me for a few minutes? Or is he still upset?"

"Damn right I'm still upset," Shikamaru muttered as he suddenly appeared behind her. "You didn't even bother to come see me while I was hurt. Even I'm not that lazy."

Ino turned around, her response dying in her throat. Shikamaru wasn't wearing a shirt, and most of his chest and arms were covered in bandages. They weren't bloody, but that hardly made a difference to Ino. Her eyes teared up as she quickly looked at the ground.

Shikamaru sighed loudly. "So why'd you finally come to see me, Ino?"

She took a deep breath. "I... I wanted to apologize for what I did, and ask for your forgiveness. I know I don't deserve it, but-"

"Yeah, okay," Shikamaru interrupted, looking very much bored. "So are we still gonna do the chuunin exams or what?"

Ino's head snapped up, her eyes wide with shock. "What?! But... just like that?! WHY?!"

"Why not?" he countered. "We're still teammates."

She frowned. "Aren't you afraid of me now?"

Shikamaru snorted. "Ino, I've been afraid of you since you first screeched at me when we were kids, and I've put up with it for this long. If I was gonna run from you, I would've done it a long time ago."

"But... Shikamaru..." she whispered, shaking her head slowly.

His eyes narrowed. "Look, it's not like you have a lot of choices here, Ino. You NEED to be in the chuunin exams, and Chouji and I are the only ones who would put up with you. So quit making excuses and say yes already. We're already behind on our training, plus Chouji's been so worried that he's overeating, so we have to get him back down to his fighting weight. And you know that's a three-man effort."

It was strange to hear Shikamaru being so forceful, but it was also just the push that Ino needed in that moment. Smiling, she slipped her arms around his neck and hugged him gently. "Thank you, Shika," she whispered in his ear.

"Yeah, whatever," he grunted, quickly pulling away and grabbing her hand. "Come on, maybe we can catch Chouji before he hits his fourth 'all-you-can-eat' restaurant of the day. You teammates are so troublesome..."

* * *

_Konoha - Market District - June_

As Haku followed Hinata around the village, occasionally picking up items for that night's dinner, he found himself having a small, personal crisis.

He was a boy. A boy that could (and had) easily passed for a girl. Certainly this was very useful at times, but Haku wanted there to be SOME point where he was recognized as a boy.

This had already caused a bit of confusion in the Uchiha household. Nearly everyone except his teammates had said "Haku-kun" and "Haku-chan" almost interchangeably, and then immediately apologized, uncertain of which he preferred. Even the overly polite Hinata had fallen into the habit of saying "Haku-chan," and he just never felt the need to correct her. With her, at least, he could imagine that she was just quite fond of him, which seemed true enough.

In the end, Haku could not really say which he preferred. Yugito calling him "Haku-kun," and Hinata calling him "Haku-chan" both seemed right in their own way. Each held a certain warmth and familiarity, and each made Haku feel as if he had a purpose in life.

His thoughts were interrupted as Yorishiro suddenly landed on his shoulder and licked his cheek. Smiling, he rubbed the little dog's head and glanced over at Hinata, who was double-checking her shopping list.

"I think we have everything on my list, Haku-chan," she said after a moment, looking up and flashing him a bright smile. "Is there anything in particular you like to eat? I have some money left over."

Haku shook his head and smiled slightly. "I have learned not to be picky over food, Hinata-san. I've missed too many meals in my lifetime to ever refuse any."

"Oh, come on! There must be something you really enjoy!"

"Ice cream," he said after a few seconds.

Hinata pouted. "You're just saying that because everyone likes ice cream, aren't you?"

"Yes," Haku admitted. "But I don't hate it. I have met few who do."

"Sasuke does," Hinata sighed. "He hates anything he can taste sugar in. But I'll let you in on a little secret. He can't taste it if you just sprinkle it in."

Haku smirked. "You sneak sugar into his food?"

"Just a little," she replied with a grin.

"Why?"

"Honestly, I have no idea," Hinata answered. "Maybe to remind myself that he doesn't always know what's best for him. It just seems like something I need to do, as his wife. He wouldn't get any sugar otherwise, and that just doesn't seem right to me."

"I had no idea you were so sneaky, Hinata-san. I can only hope that is something you picked up from him, and not the other way around."

Hinata just smiled, choosing not to answer him. This turned out to be a very good thing, because if she had answered, Haku might not have seen what he did in that instant.

Further down the street, a very large person in a red, hooded cloak stepped out of an alley and began moving away from them. Haku could say exactly why, but something about this person disturbed him. This feeling was only confirmed when Yorishiro stiffened and began to growl loudly. Haku could in no way communicate with the dog, but he was certain that she was reacting to the very same sight.

"Hinata-san... could you please look at the person in the red cloak who is rapidly moving away from us? They just passed the vegetable cart."

Not unlike Sasuke, Hinata only had to blink to activate her doujutsu. Haku was uncertain if this had always been the case, or if she had progressed to this point through constant training. But he knew that both Hinata and her younger sister seemed to be exceptionally gifted where their sight was concerned (although he had yet to see Hanabi activate her Byakugan, even in battle).

Though it appeared that she was still looking at Haku, Hinata quickly located the person in question, her eyes narrowing slightly as they pierced through the cloak to find what lay underneath.

There was complete silence for several moments, and Haku started to grow anxious as the person moved further and further away.

Finally, Hinata blinked, her eyes returning to normal. "Haku-chan," she said quietly, "we need to get home right now."

"What did you see?" Haku asked.

"That person... is not normal," she answered. "He was not human... not entirely, or not anymore. It was difficult to say, exactly. Even suppressed as it is, his chakra was immensely powerful. I'm sure Yorishiro sensed it, too."

"Could he be one of the people Yugito is so concerned about?"

Hinata frowned. "It's likely. We won't know for sure until we talk to her. And if he is one of them, there's at least one other we need to be looking for."

* * *

_Rain Country - Hidden Rain Village - June_

To the uninformed observer, Konan could be easily be mistaken merely as a very popular citizen of the Hidden Rain Village. She delivered thousands of origami animals to the children's hospital no less than four times a week, and her signature blue cranes could be found in every patient's room. Every Monday night, she could be found drinking (only enough to be polite), with some of the most powerful shinobi that the village had ever produced, in a local bar. On the street, children flocked around her, in the hopes that she would grace them with a small smile, or perhaps bless an exceptionally lucky child with a rare red crane, which she never produced more than once a year.

She had earned more titles than some people had square meals in a year. Yet each one was both well-deserved and treasured, because sometimes they were all people could give her in return.

"Queen of Pein" had always been her personal favorite, because it had stayed with her the longest. It was also one of the most fitting titles she had amassed. Because for all intents and purposes, Konan was the sole leader of the Hidden Rain Village.

The shinobi she met with were either receiving and carrying out her orders, or reporting back to her. They quickly and ruthlessly silenced any opposition, and were well-compensated: their pay was generous, and they kept their lives. It was, in fact, the only thing that Konan ever had to pay for since she had come into power. She dined for free everywhere, and no one would dare to charge her for anything else.

All of this was made possible through Pein, who had been spending more and more time outside of the village, gathering any literature he could dig up on the greater demons. Konan understood it was necessary for his plans, even accepted that it would keep him away for months, possibly years at a time. And if she had been his wife, it would've bothered her more than it did.

But she was not his wife. She was his lover, confidant, partner, and mother of his child, but not his wife. That was one role that Konan had refused to fill, and that Pein had never asked her to. Marriage meant public announcements and enemies finding out who was precious to you. As far as anyone beyond them knew, Konan had met a man in her travels, given birth, and sent the child off to live with her father. Certainly, the child had left the village with a man that no one would've recognized as Pein, but that was the intention all along.

Though it was a union first formed in childhood, fueled by passion, and tempered in true love, Konan was not always content with it. She missed her child, her lover, and her freedom. It had been years since she'd last left the village, and it was starting to get to her. The world seemed smaller already, and the time between Pein's astral calls passed far too slowly.

It was on one of these particularly slow days when Konan felt the familiar tingle in her spine of someone contacting her through astral projection. Naturally, she assumed it was Zetsu with instructions from Pein. Usually, though, Pein delivered his messages himself, and Zetsu just came in person, as he enjoyed the moisture in the air.

However, it was neither of them. Konan frowned slightly as Tobi's peculiar spiral mask appeared before her.

"Hello, Konan-sama," he greeted. "How are you?"

"Tobi, you know you aren't supposed to contact me for Akatsuki business," she scolded lightly. "If you have something to report, you call Zetsu. Remember?"

"I remember," he assured her. "It's just... I haven't heard your voice in a while, and-"

"This is the first time we've ever spoken, as I recall," she interrupted. "What do you really want?"

There was a long pause before Tobi spoke again. "I haven't heard your voice in a while," he repeated softly.

Sighing, Konan shook her head. "You should get back to your mission, Tobi." She hesitated before adding, "You really are a good boy, you know." She got the distinct impression that Tobi smiled before he vanished from view.

Several minutes passed before Konan realized she'd forgotten what she was planning to do next. Shaking her head in frustration, she allowed her eyes to drift down to her right hand, where she noted that the skin was slightly darker around the base of the middle finger. Part of her missed the familiar weight of her ring, but it had been necessary to give it up, at least for the time being. Thinking of its current location only made her feel a sharp pang of regret.

"Damn you, Tobi," she whispered, shutting her eyes tightly. "Why did you have to figure out the truth?"

* * *

_Konoha - Dancing Leaf Hotel - June_

"You know, it's funny," Kakashi murmured, leaning against the wall of slowly rising elevator. "I thought I was done getting intel from genin a long time ago."

Anko scowled and punched his arm. "Hey, Kurenai's in trouble, and we wouldn't even know that much if it weren't for the pink-haired brat. Now is not the time to be picky about the source."

"Besides," Asuma was quick to add, "if I had to be informed by genin, I'm glad it was Sakura and Shino. They were far more detailed than anyone else their age would be, even if we are still walking into the unknown."

"We know they've got her, and that's all we need," Anko insisted.

Kakashi nodded lazily. "I almost hope we get killed. We're all going to take major heat if this goes bad."

The others agreed by their silence. They had informed no one of their plan, certainly not the Hokage. Of course, Asuma was still pissed that the Sandaime had been purposely vague regarding Kurenai's current mission, one that had apparently landed her in real danger. Even when Sakura had come to him, they'd had to consider that Kurenai might be acting as a double agent to get information. But Sakura had pointed out that if Kurenai hadn't wanted help, she would've made no attempt to identify herself to her student.

Still, this was the worst possible time for a fight to break out in the village. With so many important guests around, and so many of them already under suspicion, things were likely to explode in a hurry. But this was the best way to handle it: any longer, and Asuma might've tried this alone, any sooner and they wouldn't have been able to plan as much as they had thus far. Whatever trouble they caused for themselves would be worth it, if they got Kurenai back safely. At the very least, they were looking at fines and temporary removal from duty, possibly even imprisonment. They were fairly sure that it wouldn't be too harsh, considering they were aiding a fellow Leaf-nin. But that all depended on Kurenai still being considered a Leaf-nin at this point.

The elevator slowed to a stop two floors from the top of the hotel, at which point Asuma, Kakashi, and Anko stepped off and headed for the stairs. Kakashi had wanted to save as much energy as possible, and worried that taking the stairs all the way up would use up needed strength. Asuma had refused to take the elevator all the way up, concerned that they could walk (or drop) straight into a trap. Anko had proposed the compromise of doing both, which had satisfied the men.

Asuma led the way because, sadly enough, even as the Hokage's son and a former Guard Ninja of Fire, in Konoha he was probably the least recognizable of the three. Kakashi followed at a distance, his arms tense as his sides. Anko recognized the posture, and knew before the day was done, somebody was getting a Chidori or worse. She brought up the rear because in terms of stealth, she was probably the best of the three. Kakashi was no slouch, either, but Anko didn't consider having your arm glow and screech like a bunch of birds "stealth."

When they reached the top floor, Asuma approached the Fire Lord's Suite alone. Kakashi and Anko waited at the end of the hall, ready to charge in at the first sign of trouble. Both were starting to wish that they'd brought at least one other person along.

Taking a deep breath, Asuma knocked on the door. "I have an urgent message from the Sandaime Hokage, Ruki-hime. It concerns your safety."

The door opened far too fast, and Asuma stared into the eyes of a man he instantly didn't like. This feeling only grew stronger when the man's tanned skinned suddenly lightened to blue, and his wicked smile grew much wider, displaying some very sharp teeth.

"So you're here for our princess? It's too bad, since you won't get to see her." With that, the man buried his large, blue fist in Asuma's gut, sending him flying across the hall, where he slammed into the wall hard enough to be dazed for several moments... moments in which he would most likely be killed.

Kakashi was running even before he had a target, and by the time Asuma's attacker stepped out of the suite and into Kakashi's path, he had already been marked for death. That the man was immediately recognizable as Hoshigaki Kisame barely registered in Kakashi's mind; as far as he was concerned, that only meant that Kisame was already full of the water that would contribute to his demise.

Kisame noticed Kakashi, though, or he noticed the glowing mass of chakra in Kakashi's hand, and instantly moved his right hand to the sword on his back. Thankfully, Asuma chose that moment to regain his senses and lash out with his trench knives, opening up two deep cuts on Kisame's right wrist. Kisame winced slightly, but the goal had been met: he wouldn't be drawing his sword with that hand.

This left Kisame with a choice: ignore Asuma and face Kakashi, or ignore Kakashi and face Asuma. Kakashi was easily the bigger threat, so both Leaf-nin were surprised when Kisame again drove his fist into Asuma, this time into his jaw with such speed and power that Asuma was twisted all the way around before he hit the wall.

But Asuma was not dazed this time, and the fire in his eyes was proof enough of that. He went for Kisame's throat, his trench knives flashing ominously as they closed in.

Kisame merely opened his mouth and laughed... just before he opened it even wider, allowing a powerful stream of water to shoot out and slam Asuma against the wall again. The Leaf-nin slid to the floor, out cold.

The stream cut off abruptly, just as Kakashi's Raikiri plunged into Kisame's heart. Seeing Asuma batted aside twice in such a short time had convinced Kakashi that a normal Chidori wouldn't be enough. He would have to remember that precisely, when the council questioned him on the use of excessive force.

There was a small problem, though. Kisame certainly looked like he was in a great deal of pain... but it didn't seem to be the dying sort of pain. No, it seemed a lot more like that "Now you've REALLY pissed me off" sort of pain that was never a good sign.

"Nice try," Kisame growled through gritted teeth, even as he seized Kakashi's wrist with his left hand, "but they don't make you Itachi's partner if you go and die from just one attack, no matter how good it is." Then, in the very definition of excessive force, Kisame ripped Kakashi's arm from his chest, twisted it sharply, and drove his free, supposedly neutralized hand straight into the Copy Nin's face.

There were only three possibly good things about this.

The first was that Kakashi definitely heard something in Kisame's hand break as it crashed into his face. This could only mean that Kisame was favoring his right hand, because there was no way anyone became Itachi's partner with a punch that sloppy.

The second was that Kisame wasn't too interested in killing him, because from that position, he could've and should've done far worse.

Third, Kisame released Kakashi's captive arm just as the blow connected, meaning that the arm wasn't yanked clean off of his body as he went flying down the length of the hall.

Kakashi stayed upright only by anchoring himself with chakra in his feet and hands as he clung to the wall to stop his momentum. If he hadn't done so, not only would he have landed badly, but he would've missed the greatest sign of just how thoroughly fucked the three of them were.

Kisame had just taken a Raikiri to the chest. By all rights, he should've no longer been breathing. It was important to note, then, that not only was Kisame breathing, but he was grinning, even as small amounts of blood dribbled from the sides of his mouth. The reason for this grin soon became clear: the gaping hole that had been in Kisame's chest was healing at an incredible rate. Inside of a minute, there would be no trace of damage at all.

Both of Kakashi's eyes widened as he took this in, but only the Sharingan eye confirmed what his mind was thinking. Whatever Kisame was, he wasn't human, and this fight was only going to get worse.

**End of Chapter 25.**

* * *

Next Chapter: The battle between Kisame and the Leaf-nin ends with devastating results. Gaara makes a lifelong promise. Suna meets its end. Naruto borrows one of Kiba's jutsu without asking. The chuunin exams begin.

Endnotes:

Shika-oji: basically the same as saying "Uncle Shika."

The backstory between Ino and Shikaku was a last-minute thing, and it assumes that Ino was a lot closer to the Nara Clan than she ever appeared to be anywhere else. Still, I don't think it was too unlikely.

People are always saying that the Sannin were a lot like Team 7 when they were young. I just took that idea and ran with it. I made Tsunade a lot more like Sakura (and Jiraiya like Naruto), and you see how well THAT turned out. Although I have to say I don't think I changed Orochimaru's character at all to match Sasuke. Sasuke strikes me as very logical (at least, you can almost always tell what he's thinking and why he feels the way he does; tunnel vision makes you predictable), which is almost never the case for Orochimaru. At least if Sasuke ever did take Sakura into his bed, you could pretty accurately guess at his motivation (it's not like there's a long list of possibilities). With Orochimaru, you never know what he's thinking (so don't bother asking!).

I'm not quite sure how Sasori would appear to a Byakugan user. But his heart probably wouldn't be in the usual place, and his actual body would be missing the expected organs and blood. Plus there's all the weapons crammed into him, as well as the poisons.

Yes, there is a purpose to that weird conversation between Konan and Tobi, as well as all the backstory. I also decided to keep Pein on as Akatsuki leader, since he's turning out to be such a cool character. And if I add any more couples to the story summary, I won't HAVE a story summary... Also, Zetsu was the one to popularize calling Tobi "a good boy."

Perhaps I made Kisame a bit TOO powerful (and this IS Kisame, not some cheap or even expensive clone). There is a method to my madness. I've already dropped one or two hints as to why he's so tough, and I'll touch on it again next chapter. Also, again, I don't think Akatsuki should be dying left and right, no matter who is after them. I mean, they're down to five members in the manga, and that doesn't seem right at all. At first I assumed that the later a member was introduced, the tougher they were and the longer they'd live. Then Hidan got "buried" by Shikamaru. I'll admit the kid is a genius, but if you can be killed by a chuunin that DOESN'T have a demon sealed in him, maybe you shouldn't be in Akatsuki... or at least you shouldn't be so loud about it. But I like the idea that Pein, Konan, Itachi, Kisame, and Zetsu are the best Akatsuki has to offer. Although if Sasuke kills anyone but Itachi with yet another cheap trick, I'm going to be pissed. Has anyone noticed that lately most of Sasuke's wins seem to be controversial, technicalities, and not clear-cut victories? He's becoming more like Orochimaru every day. Bleh. And that ends my rant for today.

Ino's jutsu:

**Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique):**

A genjutsu technique that discovers a target's fear, and then makes that fear appear before them.

Kakashi's jutsu:

**Magen: Kyoten Chiten (Demonic Illusion: Mirror of Heaven and Earth Change):**

A genjutsu technique exclusive to Sharingan wielders. It reflects any genjutsu back at the caster, trapping them in their own illusion. (Actually, this jutsu may be exclusive to Uchiha, but I figure if Kakashi can get the Mangekyou through other means, he can get everything else he supposedly shouldn't have access to).

**Raikiri (Lightning Cut):**

It is my understanding that Raikiri is really just a more powerful version of Chidori. Apparently Kakashi is a bit like his "eternal rival" in that he has a flare for the dramatic occasionally. But since the Chidori/Sharingan combo is draining enough, I assume you wouldn't waste a Raikiri on anyone that wasn't as highly ranked as the jutsu itself. Chidori, on the other hand, seems to be good enough for anyone below A-rank, which is a bit weird, but not really, considering how much Naruto breaks out Rasengan, and damn I'm ranting again! Gah.

Kisame's jutsu:

**Suiton: Kaikou Honryuu (Water Release: Open Mouth Torrent):**

Kisame opens his mouth wide and releases a powerful, rushing stream of water from his throat. Excellent for driving back close-up enemies.

(Probably not an exact translation, at least not when "open mouth" and "torrent" are combined like this.)


	26. Rise of the Red Dawn

Notes: The chuunin exams start here. Barely. There's like one scene, and then the chapter ends. Heh. But in all fairness, there's a lot going on right before the exams begin, and I crammed it all into one chapter just for you!

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 26: Rise of the Red Dawn**

* * *

Mitarashi Anko had never been the type to sit back and let her comrades do all the work. Whenever she received a mission that involved combat, it was a safe bet that Anko would be in the thick of it, especially if the odds were against her.

Hatake Anko had even less reservations about charging into combat, and this was not because she had some sort of ongoing death wish. No, Anko could confidently head into any battle because she was fearless. This was a slight exaggeration, as there were many things she feared, as a kunoichi and as a woman. But people such as her had the ability to see nothing but the battle before them, as well as the consequences for losing. In their minds, they could erase doubt and fear in an instant, replacing it with only sheer determination.

This was not something she had learned from Kakashi, although many people assumed she had, and he had the talent as well. It was something she'd learned from Orochimaru, and had in fact been the last thing he'd ever said to her. Ironically, that lesson was the only reason why Anko could ever seriously consider facing her old sensei in combat. It was the entire reason why Anko would ignore all warnings, and knowingly engage a foe much stronger than her, if she had reason to believe that it was necessary.

Kakashi was her husband, the infamous Copy Nin, and more often than not, the measuring stick by which all other elite Leaf shinobi were judged. But he was also Anko's measuring stick, because any person that could beat Kakashi was more than worth her time and effort.

For these reasons, Anko bit her lip hard as she watched Hoshigaki Kisame advance on her husband's fallen form in the hotel hallway. She was not afraid, or even worried about Kakashi, but she was very, very angry. Kisame had kidnapped Kurenai, knocked out Asuma, and was currently giving Kakashi a hard time. The shark man would not be an easy opponent... but he would be her opponent now.

The taste of her own blood was enough to get Anko moving. With no apparent effort, she swept her right arm in front of her, releasing five blue-black kunai, all of which flew straight at Kisame. The instant she was done, Anko sprang forward to follow the projectile weapons, her brown eyes gleaming with fury.

Kisame saw her, of course, but took the time to deliver one last huge punch to Kakashi's ribs, most probably breaking several of them and sending the Copy Nin into merciful unconsciousness. The shark man straightened up just in time to spin around and deflect the kunai with the sword still strapped to his back. What he had not noticed, however, was that the odd color of the weapons was due to their being coated in a cocktail of some of the most horrific poisons ever invented. So while none of the kunai actually touched him, their deadly coating splashed all over him as the weapons bounced away.

There was no time to do anything about that, though. By then, Anko was in his face, her teeth bared in a snarl as she went straight for his throat with her bare hands. Kisame almost laughed, but his eyes widened when further surprises emerged from her long sleeves: a bunch of highly poisonous snakes from the left, and a shining blade as wide as her hand on the right. He managed to bat her left hand to the side, but right sailed through his guard and took a chunk out of his left shoulder before he could knock her away.

At this point, she had Kisame's full attention. He frowned, realizing with some anger that in three attacks, she'd only used chakra for one, yet it was the OTHER two that had hit him. Already he could feel an alien sensation spreading through the muscles in his arms, where most of the poison had landed. Whatever she'd thrown on him, it was going to take some time for his body to adapt and become basically immune. In the meantime, he needed to get some distance between them.

Samehada was in his right hand in a heartbeat, and Kisame grinned as he felt the sword twitch in anticipation. He would bet anything that this little woman could fight without using much chakra, and still be a threat... but even so, she couldn't beat him and Samehada both. "Itachi told me no killing, for now," Kisame chuckled darkly, "but I happen to know that there are a million ways to leave silly shinobi like you teetering on the brink of death. Would you like to see one?"

Anko glared at him. "I'll pass, thanks."

"Wasn't really giving you an option," Kisame answered, pointing Samehada at Kakashi's still form. "You know, if I ran him through, and slowly pulled my sword out in exactly the same position it pierced him, there's a slim chance he'd survive. But, with just a slight turn of my sword, his organs would pop like balloons, and he'd die instantly."

"Whatever, fish face. We gonna do this or not?" Anko snapped, drawing two more kunai from her trench coat.

"I can't tell if you're being insulting, or just plain stubborn," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Either way, this won't end well for you. After all, you're no Copy Nin Kakashi."

"Nah, I'm just the one that tamed him!" Anko replied as she started towards him, a manic grin on her face.

Kisame snorted and stepped forward, having already compensated his usual swing for the somewhat narrow hallway. He was certain the woman would avoid his first downward, diagonal slash, and she did, though not in a way he expected. Without even slowing down, she dove through the air at him, curling into a ball and practically bouncing off of Samehada with the aid of her two kunai. Then she quickly uncurled and flattened her body into a mid-air, horizontal cartwheel, her kunai slashing through his right cheek and the flesh at the base of his neck.

At that point, Kisame lost his patience and drove his elbow straight into her face, grinning as he heard the satisfying crack of her nose breaking. But the grin didn't last, for even as the woman backed off, his vision began to blur slightly.

Anko was dazed from the last hit, but she shook it off as best she could. It was becoming clear to her that Kisame's speed was not constant, unlike his strength. At certain points, she was definitely faster, but then Kisame would unleash a burst of speed and blindside her. In fact, that was how he'd taken down both Asuma and Kakashi. He didn't even seem to care much that he was taking damage in the meantime. It was true that nearly all traces of Anko's attacks had faded, but the poison was still in his system, she was certain of that.

This left Anko in a bad spot. She couldn't estimate how fast Kisame would be at any given moment, although he was more likely to increase his speed while counterattacking. Anyone else who had taken in as much poison as he had would be dead, so she couldn't count on that taking him out of the fight, at least not before he took her out.

Before she could make a decision, Kisame made one... by throwing his sword at Kakashi. Anko moved without thinking, but still aware that she was in a battle, she was ready to counterattack in an instant.

But what she hadn't counted on was that Kisame would reach Kakashi first, even before she or the sword did. Her eyes wide with shock, Anko froze and sealed her fate.

Kisame's left hand came out of nowhere, and Anko just barely had time to see something blue and spinning in it a second before it slammed into her gut. She heard the familiar sound of flesh being torn apart, and then everything went black.

Kisame watched in mild curiosity as the woman flew away from him, her body spinning slightly before she hit the floor hard on her back. He hadn't had the chance to test his Shark Sphere on a living opponent, but he had held back all the same, considering what it did to everything else. Although, from the amount of blood rapidly pooling around the woman, maybe he had overdone it. Still, she was breathing.

Shrugging, he doubled back to the suite to do a final check. His eyes landed on the still form of Kurenai, seemingly asleep on the couch. Kisame gave the body a small poke with Samehada, grunting when it exploded in smoke, revealing the half-dead form of Hayate Gekko. Honestly, it had been more troublesome to keep him alive for the Shoten no Jutsu (Shapeshifting Technique), and cost them far more chakra, but Itachi had insisted, for some reason. Kisame was more than a little annoyed that he hadn't been able to see the look on the Leaf-nin's faces when they found out they'd fought him for nothing. Shaking his head, he popped a soldier pill into Hayate's mouth and made him swallow it, wondering what Itachi had against killing Leaf-nin lately. He'd never seemed to mind before, at least.

With that done, Kisame quickly left the suite and headed for the roof. He needed to get back to Itachi, before Kurenai realized that the Uchiha was missing a great deal of chakra and tried to take advantage of it.

* * *

_Outskirts of Suna - June_

"They've been gone a while, haven't they, Kakuzu-san?"

"I suppose that's one thing that won't change, no matter what's in Hidan's body," Kakuzu grunted. "He always took too damn long for my tastes."

Sighing, Tobi suddenly wished he'd brought a watch. Hatsumi and Hidan had walked off over two hours ago, with her leading him by a leash made up of several lengths of Kakuzu's black thread. Hatsumi had insisted that "Ghoulie" could handle the destruction of Suna all by himself, and Kakuzu had agreed that they all needed to see the new guy in action. But none of them had considered just how long it would take. So far, Suna seemed in no danger of destruction. In fact, instead of heading towards the city, from Tobi's best guess, Hatsumi and Hidan were only circling it from a great distance.

On the other hand, because there had been no obvious threat to the village so far, nobody had come out to investigate.

Still, it was pretty boring. Kakuzu passed the time by flipping through what seemed to be a Bingo Book of only the highest-priced bounties. Tobi mostly counted the red clouds on his cloak, then added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided the number randomly until he forgot the original number. Then he just started over again.

They were still sitting there when a giant Venus fly trap emerged from the sand, opening up to reveal Zetsu's head. "I hope you two have an excellent reason for sitting around doing nothing."

"It's Hidan's re-initiation," Kakuzu replied. "We have to make sure this new guy has what it takes, after all. Or do you want some no-talent walking around wearing our colors and a ring?"

"Hatsumi thought it would be a good idea, Zetsu-san," Tobi added. He was fairly certain that not even Zetsu could be angry with the little girl, and sure enough...

"Well. I suppose we can afford to wait a little longer." And to their great surprise, Zetsu fully emerged from the sand, then sat down and waited calmly as various insects flew towards his head, never to emerge again.

Thirty minutes later, Hidan reappeared, with Hatsumi riding on his shoulders. He was bleeding heavily from his back, leaving a thick trail of blood behind him. Whenever the blood flow began to slow, he would immediately stab himself with a kunai to reopen the wound and renew the trail. They kept on this way until there was a complete circle of blood surrounding Suna.

"Told you he was the same," Kakuzu sighed, closing his eyes. "I just hope the chanting part won't take as long."

Hatsumi happily skipped over to them, stopping beside Zetsu and waving up at him. "Hi, Piranha Plant! You're just in time for the show!"

"I should hope so," Zetsu answered. "The Leader is awaiting confirmation of your success."

"Okay, do it, Ghoulie!" Hatsumi shouted, waving her arms wildly.

With a nod, Hidan stabbed himself in the forehead, allowing blood to drip down his front. Once it had reached the circle at his feet, both the circle and Hidan's eyes began to glow red.

It had already been fairly quiet, but all sound came to an abrupt end as the village itself took on a bright red glow.

Tobi leaned down and whispered to Hatsumi, "What's he doing, exactly?"

"First, he'll use genjutsu to make sure no one gets out," Hatsumi replied. "Then, he'll use taijutsu to destroy everything. Finally, he'll use ninjutsu to get rid of anything that's left."

Twin triple-bladed scythes burst from Hidan's shoulders, and with no real effort, he caught them and delivered two slashes with the weapons.

Suna was largely hidden from view as a huge sandstorm rose up, but even then, it was easy to see buildings crumbling with enormous slash marks in their sides.

Smirking, Hidan opened his mouth wide and vomited a ball of solid red fire that spread to the entire village in mere seconds. Satisfied, he jammed his scythes back into his shoulders and walked to the group, still leaking blood as Suna burned down behind him.

"The Leader will be pleased," Zetsu said simply. He paused, his tone growing more serious. "Find Tsunade. She has information on Orochimaru that we require. Extract it by any means necessary."

"Don't suppose you have any idea where we should start looking?" Kakuzu asked, more than a little annoyed. "The Sannin don't exactly advertise their locations like they used to."

Zetsu glared at him. "That's why I told you to find her," he answered before sinking into the ground and vanishing.

"I have an idea," Tobi suggested hesitantly.

Kakuzu eyed him skeptically. "What?"

"Tsunade likes drinking and gambling," Tobi stated confidently.

"So does Jiraiya. What's your point?"

"Well, we're bound to find one of them if we search every bathhouse, bar, and casino that we come across."

"THAT is your idea?" Kakuzu demanded. "It would be faster AND make more sense to ask Orochimaru."

"That's a terrible idea," Hatsumi murmured with a frown.

"Exactly. Which tells you just how stupid HIS idea was!"

Hatsumi rolled her eyes. "I have an even better idea. I'll call Captain Awesome and ask HIM."

Everyone froze.

"Ah, Hami-chan, maybe you shouldn't-" Tobi began.

But Hatsumi had already begun the astral projection, and soon enough, two piercing blue eyes shrouded in shadow appeared before them.

"What is it, Hatsumi?" the Leader asked in a flat tone.

"Big Buddy and Valentine are fighting over who has the better idea on how to find the old lady," she complained, alarming both men. "So, naturally, I thought we should ask YOU, since you're the best leader EVER." Hatsumi beamed, looking pleased with herself.

There was an exceedingly long pause before the Leader finally answered. "I would've thought the solution was obvious. Tobi trained under her. He knows how she thinks, and he knows the members of her so-called family. Ask him." He ended the connection abruptly.

There was an even longer pause before Kakuzu turned around and slugged Tobi in the head. "IDIOT! Why didn't you say any of that before?!"

"I took one class on medical ninjutsu from her! On a weekend!" Tobi whined from the ground, clutching his head. "And I flunked it because I could only heal myself!"

Sighing, Hatsumi shook her head. "Stop fighting, boys. We need to follow Big Buddy's lead, since he knows the old lady." She gestured to Hidan, who immediately dragged Tobi to his feet.

"Fine," Kakuzu growled. "But if we get lost, even once..."

"You can't get lost on a road trip!" Hatsumi shouted. "It's all about having fun and being with your buddies!"

Kakuzu gave her a withering stare. "You make me want to rip out my hearts and eat them."

* * *

_Konoha - Hospital, Blue Ward (Suiton Sicknesses) - June_

Very few people other than medic-nin were aware of it, but Konoha's main hospital was color-coded. Anko had never really appreciated the difference, having only been admitted to the Red Ward (Burns and Katon-Related Trauma) and the Violet Ward (Poison Treatments) on several occasions. She had noticed, however, that the medic-nin in every ward excelled in treating certain types of wounds, and often their elemental affinities matched the ward at least indirectly.

So it was no real surprise for Anko to wake up and find a familiar cloaked, hooded ANBU in the far corner of her hospital room.

"Hey, Usako-chan!" Anko said brightly, wincing as pain lanced across her abdomen. "You came all the way from the front lines to check up on me?"

The woman in question sighed patiently as she moved closer to the bed, her face concealed by a white mask with a small, blue-green spider painted on the forehead, just above a black Konoha Leaf. "No, apparently I came to find out that you're far crazier than I ever suspected. What were you thinking, going in blind like that?"

"Kurenai was in trouble, and she still is," Anko snapped. "Maybe if you guys had been doing your jobs, it wouldn't have come to this."

"And if you had done your job, you would've gone in with enough backup to prevent yourself from ending up like this. Honestly, Anko, you've done more harm than good. Not only did you not rescue Kurenai, but you've incapacitated two of Konoha's best ninja. Kakashi will be out of action for at least a month. It's lucky that Asuma's only got a few scratches. As for you, well, that was a nasty piece of work. I've never seen water do that kind of damage to anyone."

"That makes two of us," Anko muttered, staring down at her abdomen. It was covered in bandages, and not blood anymore, so that was something. Honestly, she was shocked that she had lived. The only explanation was that Kisame hadn't really been trying to kill her, but that made no sense at all.

"You're lucky that kunoichi from the Cloud was around," Usako commented. "It would've normally taken a whole team of medics to close a wound that size. She's something else, that one."

Anko paused. "Yugito? She healed me?"

"No, she only closed the wound, but that alone made it far easier to care for you. She doesn't have any real training with medical ninjutsu, but she can patch up just about anything. I've never met anyone who can regenerate flesh quite that way."

"Yeah, she's something else," Anko murmured with a frown. If Yugito had healed her, then she'd no doubt told Gaara.

"By the way, you have a visitor that's very anxious to see you. He's chased away everyone else and insists on being the first to see you."

Sighing, Anko shook her head with a smirk. "Send Gaara in."

The words were barely out of her mouth when Gaara appeared beside her bed in a swirl of sand. He stepped closer and slowly placed his right hand on Anko's cheek. "Okaa-san," he said quietly.

"Don't get all mushy on me, Gaara. I'll be fine," Anko said, trying to reassure him.

It didn't work.

"Tell me who did this to you, so I can kill him for you," Gaara demanded.

Anko smiled and turned her head to place a brief, tender kiss on Gaara's palm. "His name is Hoshigaki Kisame."

Gaara started to turn to leave, but Anko caught his wrist.

"Gaara... you need to know. He's stronger than you." She paused, then added, "He isn't sealed. He's pure. Do you understand?"

A brief nod was his response, and then Gaara vanished the same way he had come in. He had barely been gone three seconds when Naruto burst through the door, his eyes red instead of blue.

"You're sure it was Kisame?" he growled.

Anko blinked and nodded.

The door slammed shut behind him.

"What was that about?" Usako asked.

Anko shrugged. "He thinks of Gaara as his brother. I guess that makes me his mother..."

"Huh. Your family's weirder than you are."

* * *

_Konoha - Uchiha Compound - June_

Naruto was beginning to accept that becoming Hokage had always been an impossible dream for him. He had never really understood what it meant to be that powerful, to live with the knowledge that his action, or inaction, could sentence hundreds of people to death every single day. He never would've been able to live with that kind of guilt, he now knew. Because the fact that Gaara's adoptive mother had nearly been killed by the very same attack Naruto had taught Kisame was slowly but surely driving him mad.

He had not been able to look Gaara in the eye since then. It was lucky that Naruto hadn't gone into great detail about his meeting with Kisame, at least about the part where they learned from each other. He was pretty sure that Yugito and Kyojuu wouldn't have approved, and that Gaara would become murderous again if he ever found out.

But Gaara was far too distracted to notice Naruto's discomfort. Anko's brush with death had hit him hard, and now he was considering what his life would be like if he'd lost her.

In other words, both had been too busy thinking depressing thoughts to consider anything else. By the time they returned to the Uchiha compound, neither had been in the mood to do much.

Naturally, Yugito and Kyojuu dragged them into a meeting with Temari, Kankurou, Hinata, Sasuke, and Haku. Hinata told them all about a strange incident she and Haku had in the market district, and Yugito only confirmed their suspicions: they'd just seen Sasori.

Sasuke mostly just sat there and glared, and no one needed to ask why. The attack on Anko, as far as he was concerned, only meant one thing: that Itachi was back in Konoha. But Sasuke wasn't ready, and the fight with Haku had only reminded him of that. Yet, he couldn't just sit back and let Itachi roam the village freely. He had to do SOMETHING, even though it was likely to get him killed or worse.

After the meeting, there was a second meeting, out in the backyard.

This one only made Naruto feel even worse, because it was just between the four demon containers, and the serious look on Yugito's face indicated that whatever she wanted to say would have quite an impact on all of them.

"I'm not going to lie to you, guys. This is BAD. There are at least four members of Akatsuki in Konoha as we speak. I've never run into anything like that before. There's a very real chance that one, or even all of us, could be captured and eventually killed. And their kind of death isn't something I could bring you back from. Believe me, I've tried and failed before."

"So then we don't die," Gaara replied quietly.

Yugito offered him a grateful smile, but it didn't last long. "It's like I've been saying all along. Working together is our best and only option here. We're more than just a team, we're a family. I don't know about you, but I plan to keep it together until we're all old and wrinkly. But that means we have to win here and now."

"So no holding back," Kyojuu muttered, flexing his claws.

"I think we should each share a secret," Yugito suggested. "To strengthen the bonds we have with each other. And I'll even start things off. Dying hurts like hell, but I'd do it for any of you."

"Knowing there are others like me, with the same lives and the same curse... knowing that I am not alone... it makes me feel... happy," Gaara said softly.

Kyojuu lowered his head. "I spent the first couple of years of my life sealed inside a series of tunnels that ran all the way under my village. Twice a day, they'd open one end and put food inside... but it was always the end furthest from me, and by the time I ran the length of the tunnel, the food was crawling with bugs and rats. And usually, the bugs and rats ended up being better for me. But all that running made me the fastest person in the village, and one day I escaped when they opened the tunnel to put food in. After that, the Tsuchikage let me become a ninja. Once I learned everything they were willing to teach me, I went back and ripped out his heart."

Naruto stared at him in shock. "Why?"

Kyojuu shrugged. "He was the one that had me sealed in the tunnel. He was the one that wouldn't let me advance past genin. He was going to hold me prisoner for the rest of my life. I couldn't take it anymore."

Yugito squeezed Kyojuu's shoulder reassuringly before turning to Naruto. "Do you have a secret you're willing to share with us, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto stared at them all, feeling like dirt. It was his fault that Anko was in the hospital. It was his fault that Kisame now had a very deadly weapon in his arsenal (well, one more, anyway). And it was going to be his fault, at least partially, when Konoha burned to the ground.

And none of these three people, his new friends, his family, knew anything about it.

"Okay," he said at last. "I have a secret. But it's a big one. And you might not trust me afterwards, so I'll just say it and then leave."

Yugito's eyes widened in surprise. "Naruto-kun..."

"Akatsuki is a big problem, but it's not our biggest problem." He took a deep breath. "The Sound and the Sand are allies, and during the third stage of the chuunin exam, they're going to attack Konoha."

No one said anything. Naruto couldn't even look at them. But he could feel Gaara's eyes boring into him as he walked away.

The other three stood there for several moments, looking at each other.

Finally, Kyojuu shoved his hands into his pockets. "I can't really blame him," he said quietly. "What they did to him here... it'd make me hate them, too. That's the way I felt about my village. But if Yugito happened to live there, I couldn't go through with it, either."

"He only told us because he cares," Yugito added softly. "You know that, don't you, Gaara?"

Gaara closed his eyes. "I already knew. But I never expected him to tell me the truth, and this still doesn't mean I can trust him."

"But we HAVE to trust each other," Yugito insisted. "We won't survive if we don't!"

"I have given my loyalty to the Sandaime Hokage. Naruto is a part of the force that would destroy the Hokage's village. Even if he is my brother now, I will stop him." Gaara turned and headed back towards the house. "I suggest you choose a side, and choose wisely."

* * *

_Konoha - Location Unknown - June_

"This isn't real," Kurenai whispered softly, shaking her head. "It just can't be real."

At her side, Itachi said nothing. He didn't need to.

The room they currently stood in had not been used or even opened in years, and that had only served to preserve what remained of its former occupants. The air was stale and heavy with the scent of blood that had long ago been spilled. Itachi knew that for the smell to cling so strongly, a lot of people had to have died regularly there.

He had never been more certain that killing his clan had been the right, and indeed, only choice.

"Don't look away, Kurenai-san," Itachi said quietly. "I want you to see what the Hyuuga did with the children they were truly displeased with."

Itachi had heard rumors about such storage rooms, back when he was in ANBU, but they had never been able to find enough evidence to prove the existence of such places. And even if they had, the council would've most likely forced them to drop the issue.

But now that he could see the horrors with his own eyes, Itachi, for the first time in years, wondered if leaving Sasuke behind in a village that allowed such things to go unpunished was such a good idea.

There were no bodies. The Hyuuga had thought to clean up after themselves a little, at least. But that was all they had done. Torn, bloodstained clothing was piled up along the walls, as were the chains that had no doubt restrained the former occupants.

"Why?" Kurenai asked. "Why was this necessary? They had that damned seal of theirs..."

"The seal did not always work on the hybrids," Itachi pointed out with a smirk. "Some could resist it's effects, others were immune entirely. I have heard that there were even those that could reflect the pain that the seal caused back upon those who tried to activate it."

Kurenai's eyes widened in realization. "Is this why you...?"

"No. Hybrids were actually welcome in the Uchiha Clan, for the most part, because many were no different than the exceptionally talented members."

"But surely the Hokage had no idea this was going on," Kurenai insisted. "I can't believe that he would allow this."

"I doubt he would," Itachi agreed. "But does that really make a bit of difference? Whether he knew or not, whether he condoned it or not, it still went on while he was in power, and that makes him just as responsible. Is it not the Hokage's duty to protect every person in his village? Do you think these miserable souls were protected, Kurenai-san? Can you really be so gullible as to believe that Hinata was the first to escape a cruel fate forced on her by the Hyuuga Clan?"

Kurenai's eyes narrowed. "Why would you care about that girl?"

"The other Uchiha were no match for my Mangekyou Sharingan," Itachi replied. "I wish to test my power against that of a fully developed hybrid. Sasuke has been useful in keeping her alive this long, but soon she will have to fight for herself. If she can prove herself worthy, then I will be her final opponent If not, I suppose there is always a chance that little Hanabi will be a late bloomer."

Kurenai could not say what disturbed her more: that Itachi planned to kill the two girls, or that he had clearly been watching them closely, even after he'd left the village. "Haven't you killed enough of your own people?"

Itachi barely spared her a glance. "So long as a single Uchiha other than myself lives, it is possible for them to gain the Mangekyou Sharingan from my death. This is even possible for the hybrids, and there is no point in doing something at all if you are unwilling to be thorough about it. Eventually, they will all die by my hands."

"You really are a monster, Uchiha Itachi."

"Perhaps. But I am only one of many that began in this village, Kurenai-san. I suggest you remember that well."

Before she could reply, there was a slight noise behind them. Kurenai spun around, kunai in hand, but gasped as a larger, blue hand seized her wrist.

"Relax, princess," Kisame said with his usual grin as he released her.

"How did it go, Kisame?" Itachi asked.

"Great."

"They found the body?"

Kisame snorted. "Probably, but not until after I'd gone. You overestimated them, Itachi. They never even got past me. That Anko was a real spitfire, though. Can't figure out why the snake wouldn't keep her around. He has to be the dumbest smart guy I know."

"As is usually the case with him, he failed to take willpower into account. The only will that has ever mattered to him is his own. That is why he will always fail."

"How are you any different?" Kurenai snapped.

"Just because my will is dominant," Itachi replied calmly, "it does not mean I am unaware of those that are less important. You think I don't know what drives Sasuke? Hinata? Any of the hybrids? If I were really as foolish as you seem to believe, Kurenai-san, you would've been dead days ago."

* * *

_Konoha - Uchiha Compound - June_

"Please don't leave, Naruto-kun," said a soft voice from the doorway.

Naruto bit his tongue hard, but continued to shove his supplies into his travel pack. He knew that if he looked over his shoulder in that moment, whatever he saw in Yugito's face might convince him that he really didn't have to leave.

But he did have to leave. He'd already said as much to Temari and Kankurou, and all three would be going back to the Sarutobi compound that same night. They needed to confirm any last-minute changes in the plan with Kabuto, and with the chuunin exams starting the following day, there wouldn't be another chance to straighten things out.

And aside from all that, Naruto did not want to sleep under the same roof as Gaara, not when he didn't know what the redhead was thinking anymore.

"Gaara will calm down, I'm sure of it," Yugito added, taking a step into the room. "Then we can all talk about this, and-"

"I don't belong here anymore... if I ever did at all," Naruto interrupted.

"You don't mean that. You were happy when we were all together. I saw you, and you couldn't have faked that."

"If I really belonged here, Yugito," he muttered, "then why did you have to lie to me to get me here in the first place? I know you're not my sister."

"If you know that," Yugito replied, moving directly behind him, "then you know why I did it. So we wouldn't be turning on each other, like we are now. I couldn't take the risk that you might not side with us. But maybe I shouldn't have even bothered." She sighed and shook her head. "How long have you known?"

"Kyuubi told me five minutes after you told me about the Nibi. He figured one or both of you might not be completely honest, for some reason. And you know what? It doesn't even bother me anymore. I know why you did it, and I guess that's a good reason. Because now that things are falling apart, it just makes me realize how important it was that we all be together in this."

"So why are you still leaving?" Yugito demanded. "I'm sorry I lied, that I couldn't find a better way to do this, but-"

"I'm not leaving because I don't trust you. I'm leaving because you can't trust me. Tomorrow, we're practically enemies, and after that, we definitely will be. You have to accept that, Yugito."

"I meant what I said, you know," she whispered. "It wasn't really a lie to me. You guys are all I have left."

Naruto finally turned to face her. "I know. That's why Gaara's so angry, and why I can't stay here tonight. It works both ways, Yugito. We should trust each other because we're the same, but because we're so close, it hurts twice as bad when that trust is broken. So this isn't something we can fix overnight."

"But we need you, Naruto-kun," Yugito pleaded. "The whole reason we're in such a desperate situation is because none of us were able to work together before. But it can work! I saved Kyojuu, and if you'll all just believe this can work, it will! I know it will!"

"If I stay, you might lose Gaara," Naruto pointed out. "I'd rather leave and know you guys still had his support. I've got other people watching my back, so I'll be fine. You just worry about yourselves."

"What makes you think we won't be worrying about you?"

"It's like you told me before, Yugito. I made it this far without you. I can manage on my own a little longer."

Yugito bit her lip as Naruto started to walk past her, then darted in front of him, blocking the doorway. "I can make you stay!"

"Probably," he agreed with a faint smile, "but you won't." Naruto put down his pack and gave her a big hug. "I'm glad I met you... and I'm glad you lied to me. You're one of the only people that lied to me out of love, and I'll always remember that."

"You better come back to us," Yugito murmured, squeezing him tightly and kissing his cheek. "If you don't, Kyojuu and I will drag you back ourselves. Don't think we won't."

"I'm counting on it," Naruto replied, gently pulling away and grabbing his pack before slipping out of the room.

* * *

"Your ribs still bothering you, Scare Bear?" Anko asked softly, reaching up to brush her fingertips against Kakashi's cheek.

For the last ten minutes, Kakashi had been perched on the edge of her hospital bed, his face frozen in a pained grimace. It was odd that he'd lowered his mask for the occasion, but considering how little he did so in public, Anko wasn't about to complain.

Kakashi did not react as she expected him to. Normally, he might try to kiss her fingertips before she pulled away, or offer a tiny smile, but he did neither. Instead, he closed his eyes tightly and turned away, but not before Anko saw something on his face that alarmed her a great deal.

Because Kakashi didn't cry. As far as she knew, he hadn't since Obito had died. But he was crying now, although she couldn't imagine why.

"What's wrong?" Anko demanded, grabbing his arm. "You're starting to freak me out!"

There was a slight pause before Kakashi cleared his throat. "The poisons you used on Kisame... they got into your wound."

Anko blinked. "Okay. But they're in the poison registry, so it's nothing that can't be cured."

"Anko," he said slowly, forcing himself to look into her brown eyes. "Kisame's blood also got into the wound, and... some of his chakra, as well."

Her eyes widened. "Really? Well, that's... different. I doubt he did that on purpose..."

"I do, too," Kakashi replied. "And that's the ONLY reason why I'm not out there now tracking him down."

"What are you talking about, Kakashi?"

"Normally, the poisons could be cured. But they've mixed with Kisame's blood and chakra, and whatever the result is, it's mutated and... that CAN'T be cured. They're saying the chakra was demonic in nature, because it resists everything they've tried, and it's eating away at your insides."

"Oh." Anko stared at him, a blank look on her face. "That sucks."

"They think... you might have a few more days, at the rate it's going now. But there's every chance that the rate will increase before it's done. Whatever this thing is... it's alive, and getting stronger."

Anko grunted, sulking a bit as she leaned back in bed and stared at the ceiling. "This really sucks."

Doing his best to be reassuring, Kakashi lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I'm not going anywhere."

She shot him a dark look. "Yeah, that's what REALLY sucks. We're stuck in this stupid room, but you've got busted ribs, so we can't really enjoy it like we usually would."

Kakashi blinked. "Um, not that I'm turning you down, but how can you think about that right now?"

"If I'm gonna die, I wanna go out happy. Is that so wrong?"

"No, but-"

"How bad are your ribs? Really?" Anko interrupted, staring at him hungrily.

He stared back at her for several seconds. Finally, Kakashi cleared his throat and said, "Ribs? What ribs?"

Anko grinned. "That's what I thought," she said smugly, yanking his head down to hers.

* * *

_Konoha - Sarutobi Compound - June_

Temari knew something was wrong with Naruto, but could tell that now was the wrong time to ask what. Their abrupt departure from the Uchiha compound hadn't really been a surprise, considering how tense things had been getting since Gaara's adoptive mother had gotten injured. Temari had felt awkward, since she hadn't known Anko that well, and had been too afraid to ask if she could accompany Gaara when he'd gone to the hospital with Naruto.

Gaara had been nowhere in sight when they'd left, which led Temari to believe that he and Naruto had fought over something. She wasn't sure who to be more annoyed at: Naruto for making things worse, Gaara for not even turning up to see her off, or Kankurou for not caring either way. And the moment they'd reached their rooms in the Sarutobi compound, Naruto had climbed out of Konohamaru's window and up to the roof, to be alone and think.

Naturally, Temari had followed, and Naruto hadn't pulled away when she'd slipped her arm around his shoulders, so they just sat there for a few hours, saying nothing and leaning against each other.

Suddenly, and for no reason that Temari could see, Naruto's whole body tensed up. Before she could ask why, a thick tendril of sand slithered its way onto the roof, stopping a respectful distance away from them. Slowly, it raised up and filled out, becoming a sand clone of Gaara.

This struck Temari as odd, and she wasn't sure why until the sand clone slowly moved closer to them. If Gaara wanted to speak to them, he would've just come up himself. That he would send a clone indicated that, for some reason, he didn't want to get close to one or both of them.

"We will each do what we must," the sand clone stated. "But I warn you now, Naruto. I'll make you pay if you harm any of my precious people. Likewise, I am holding you personally responsible for anything that might happen to Temari and Kankurou. Those are my terms, and they are not negotiable. If you do not agree... then defend yourself here and now."

Temari's eyes widened in shock. Gaara obviously knew about the invasion, and was fully prepared to attack them that instant.

"I agree," Naruto said quietly, lowering his head. "But there's something you need to know, Gaara. About Kisame."

The sand clone had no visible reaction.

"The attack he used on Anko... he learned it from me."

That was news to Temari, and she was far too surprised to say anything.

The sand clone blinked. "And?" it asked calmly.

Naruto's head snapped up. "You don't care?!"

"Not unless it was you that delivered the blow, or told Kisame to do so."

"Of course not! But-"

"I saw you throw a kunai the other day, Naruto," the clone interrupted. "If I throw one today, should you be responsible for what it hits?"

Naruto paled slightly. "No, but I still taught him!"

"Only the ninja himself can decide what jutsu is appropriate for any given situation. He assumes responsibility for any technique he uses... not his teacher." The sand clone tilted its head slightly, a vaguely puzzled expression on its face. "I still consider you my brother, Naruto... for now. Why you seem so intent on giving me a reason to hate you is entirely beyond me. But I suggest that you stop it, before you stumble upon a good reason."

"G-Gaara," Temari whispered, her voice trembling.

His eyes slid over to her, but there was still no malice in them. "Go to bed, Temari, and make sure that he does the same. Tomorrow may be a long day for all of us." Turning his back on them, the sand clone melted into a swirling puddle and slid off of the roof.

"You told them? All of them?" Temari asked after a moment.

Naruto nodded. "I had to. They trusted me, believed in me... and Gaara, he's... he's..."

"What?"

Sighing, Naruto raised his head and gave her a helpless look. "He's our brother..."

Temari blinked slowly for a few seconds, until a hesitant smile spread across her face. "Yeah, he is," she agreed, ruffling Naruto's hair fondly. "And he gave us an order, so we'd better do what he says."

* * *

Gaara was far more distracted than he preferred to be as he walked into the main house of the Uchiha compound. But he was not so distracted that he didn't notice something odd. For it being so late, he could hear several people moving around and talking, making no attempt to be quiet. That meant that pretty much everyone was still awake. He could also smell the distinct aroma of Ichiraku ramen, which could only mean that Ayame had dropped by.

Curious but not alarmed, Gaara headed to the kitchen, only to find Anko seated at the table, happily digging into a steamy bowl of ramen while Ayame and Hinata went about making more. Sasuke was also at the table, clutching a mug of tea, which he was glaring into. Yugito was sitting next to him with her own tea, although she didn't seem nearly as mad at her mug.

The only thing that really seemed out of place was the ANBU standing in the corner nearest Anko. Her posture indicated that she was bored, and since no one else seemed concerned about her presence, Gaara wasn't, either. He did lock eyes with her for a moment, though, feeling it was his duty to let her know he was keeping an eye on her.

"Oh, Gaara-kun, you're back!" Ayame gasped suddenly, looking pleased. It was impossible to tell if the blush on her face was from all the effort she'd put into the ramen, or if she was just that happy to see him.

Yugito sat up straight in her chair. "Is Naruto...?"

"He is not against us," Gaara said, "but for now, he cannot stand with us. It is the best we could hope for, given the circumstances." He turned to Anko, who was ignoring him in favor of finishing her ramen. "Okaa-san, you should be resting in the hospital."

Anko paused, slurped up the noodles hanging from her mouth, and glared at him. "I'll have you know," she said after swallowing, "that I was carried here, and all I am right now is hungry. So if you really want me to get better, the only thing you can do is give me a big hug."

Gaara narrowed his eyes, but shocked everyone when he moved a chair over to Anko's side, sat down, and allowed her to wrap an arm around his neck, squeezing him tightly. "Why is the ANBU here?" he asked when he could breathe again.

"Oh, that's just Usako-chan," Anko said, ignoring the woman's loud cough at being called 'just' anything. "She's an old war buddy of mine."

"I am not old," Usako snapped.

"ANYWAY," Anko continued loudly, "I've known her for years, and I asked her to do me a favor. So that's why she's here, sucking up all the ambience and generally being an eyesore. Be thankful. She used to wear these horrible blue sundresses with spiders all over them. The Aburame absolutely LOVED her."

"Remind me again why we're still friends?" Usako muttered darkly, glaring at the back of Anko's head.

Anko waved her off. "All my friends ask that occasionally," she whispered to Gaara, who just rolled his eyes.

"Why did you ask her to come here?" Sasuke muttered, momentarily looking up from his tea.

Anko grinned at him. "She's got this neat little jutsu that will help you guys out a bunch. But don't bother breaking out your Sharingan, since you can't copy it. Of course, if everything works out, you won't need to."

"There will be some momentary discomfort," Usako added. "However, since the three of you have... special circumstances, I cannot say for certain what will happen. The reactions tend to vary, so I think it would be safest if you all stood together and experienced the jutsu simultaneously."

Gaara, Sasuke, and Hinata all glanced at each other before moving to stand before Usako.

"Prepare yourselves," Usako murmured as she adjusted her gloves. "You will most likely enter a mindscape that is familiar to you, but not necessarily pleasant." Sasuke did not care for the way she seemed to be looking at him when she said that, but said nothing. "Whatever weakens one of you, the other two must help them overcome." With that, she extended her right hand and spread her fingers wide.

* * *

"I do not believe we should make a habit of meeting okaa-san's friends," Gaara said after a few seconds.

Silently, Sasuke and Hinata agreed with him.

Where they currently stood made little sense at all, and yet made perfect sense. It was a living mixture of nightmares and horrors made real, for one and all of them.

They stood underneath an open, blood-red sky, and everything beneath it, including themselves, were black and white figures. This immediately alarmed Sasuke, but not the others. At least, they were alarmed, just not by the same thing.

Less than a foot from Gaara lay the gigantic, sleeping form of Shukaku. But Gaara could tell from the way the twitches in the demon's body were slowing down that Shukaku was moments away from waking up.

Hinata was the first to spot a body, lying on its side. At first, she automatically assumed it was Hizashi, but then she saw it was a Hyuuga woman. She did not need to see the face to know it was her mother.

Sasuke was in the midst of a breakdown. The corpses of his fallen clan had started to appear all around him, and with each new one, he lost a little more of his courage. Soon he had fallen to all fours, gasping for air and trying desperately to shut his eyes. But he could not close them, even as tears leaked out of them.

Gaara only had two bodies: his mother and uncle. Inwardly, he found it ironic that Sasuke had more bodies than him, but this was not about people they'd killed, at least not in Sasuke and Hinata's cases. This was about deaths that had greatly impacted them, and for Gaara, there were only two.

There was just one little problem: Gaara knew that his mother and uncle lived on inside him, had even spoken to and touched them. To him, they were still very much alive. Seeing their dead bodies had little effect on him. He was far more concerned with Shukaku, who was even now opening his eyes.

"You want to come out and fight, and taste strong blood again," Gaara said, staring into Shukaku's great eyes. "You will. Soon. This, I swear to you."

Shukaku blinked, smirked, and nodded before he vanished.

Sasuke was having a much harder time. Between the bodies of his clan, and the sudden appearance of Itachi before him, he was very close to losing his mind. A bloodcurdling, high-pitched scream cut through the air, but Sasuke was shocked to realize that it wasn't his mother, or even one of his aunts.

It was Hinata, because another Itachi had appeared before her.

"You are still so very weak, Sasuke," Itachi said calmly. "I shouldn't have spared you. You shame what remains of the Uchiha Clan. I would have ended you then, had I known what you would become."

The Itachi in front of Hinata had more to say.

"You always held me back, Hinata. I trusted you, and you made me too weak. I protected you, and you only made me weaker. I gave you my heart, and you took away my Will of Fire. There is only one useful thing you can give me... the Mangekyou." He drew a katana and raised it high above Hinata's head.

Sasuke's eyes widened, because in that moment, he knew. The Itachi in front of Hinata wasn't Itachi. It was HIM.

Gaara thought he would have to step in, but there was no need.

Before the katana could cut Hinata's head from her shoulders, it was caught and held in Shizuka's mighty talons as she swept down from the red sky.

Sasuke hadn't noticed that his Itachi was advancing on him as well, but his progress was blocked as the misty form of Hizashi stood in his way.

Still, Gaara preferred undisputed victories, so while Itachi and the other, older Sasuke were distracted by their new foes, he sent giant sand hands to crush them.

"Fight for each other, and you will never be defeated," Usako's echoing voice told them.

* * *

_Konoha - Sarutobi Compound - July_

"Naruto, aren't you ready yet?" Temari shouted from somewhere down the hall.

"Give me one more minute, Temari," Naruto called back, staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

"Today's the day, brat," he heard Kyuubi growl into his head. "You ready?"

"Give me some of your chakra, and I will be," Naruto answered. "Konoha wants a demon, so I'm going to give them one. And a proper demon has to look the part. Isn't that what you always say?"

"Mold it how I taught you, or the changes will become permanent. Wouldn't be a problem for me, but the final process would be quite painful, and I can't have you writhing in agony when we're going to be so busy."

"Makyou Shikyaku no Jutsu (Demonic Four Legs Technique)," Naruto whispered, forming the familiar cross seal that he usually used for Shadow Clones. It wasn't entirely necessary, but it was the way that Kyuubi had helped him visualize their goal. So long as Naruto imagined Kyuubi's chakra being contained in a Shadow Clone, it became much easier to manage how much of the fox's chakra fused with his own body.

The changes were immediate as Kyuubi's red chakra swirled around Naruto's body like a strong wind. His hair lengthened, the golden spikes spilling over his Sand headband. His ears grew thin and pointed. The six whisker marks on his face darkened and thickened. His fingernails grew into sharp claws. He could even feel his spine curving, making it easier to run on all fours. But more than anything else, Naruto could feel Kyuubi's chakra tightening around his limbs, reinforcing muscles and making them more defined.

"No tail?" Naruto asked, studying his red eyes in the mirror.

"I don't have time to teach you how to balance properly with a tail," Kyuubi replied, "and falling flat on your face would ruin the whole effect. You're not getting one of my tails until you really need it, and by the time you do, moving around with a tail would be more instinct than anything else. Now go on, we've got a village to terrorize."

Smirking, Naruto walked out of the bathroom, only to have Temari come around the corner and stop short.

"Uh... did you have another nightmare last night?" she asked with wide eyes.

"I'm fine," Naruto answered, smiling at her... but that only seemed to startle her worse.

"But, Naruto, your... um... your fox is showing," Temari said helplessly.

"That's the idea."

"Are you sure it's a good one?"

"I wouldn't have wasted time modifying the jutsu if I wasn't," he replied. "Come on, we're going to be late."

Temari frowned, but followed him outside, where Kankurou, Kabuto, Hanabi, and their escort of ANBU-garbed Hyuuga were waiting. Neither of their teammates seemed all that surprised by Naruto's appearance, and Kabuto was the only one who said anything about it.

"You know they're going to assume the seal is weakening, Naruto."

"And if it was, what the hell could they do about it?" Naruto growled. "I'm a Sand-nin now, and even if I wasn't, I would let any of them get near me."

Hanabi had been staring at him in shock the whole time. Finally, she swallowed noisily and whispered, "Naru nii-chan?"

Naruto very nearly flinched when he saw the look on her face, and his first instinct was to pat her on the head and tell her he was fine. But a mental nudge from Kyuubi stopped him in his tracks. This was exactly the kind of reaction he wanted, from Leaf-nin and civilians alike. "You should go to the exams with Gaara and your sister, Hanabi-chan," he said quietly.

Hanabi almost refused, but she noticed Temari and Kankurou both giving her looks that suggested she'd be better off listening to Naruto. She slowly walked away, and one of the guards left the group to accompany her.

"Are you sure you want to go out in public like that?" another guard asked, and Naruto recognized the voice as Yamato's.

"You say that as if going out with my normal face would make them react any differently," Naruto replied coldly.

Yamato sighed. "You know we can't control the way people react to you, Naruto, but this isn't going to make it any easier."

"Yes, it will. They obviously don't have a problem attacking a kid who looks normal. But I'll bet none of them have the guts to go after one that looks like this. And if they did, it's your job to stop them. Let's go."

* * *

_Konoha - Ninja Academy - July_

Sakura was worried. So far as she and her teammates knew, their sensei was still being held hostage. But Shino had insisted that Kurenai would want them to compete in the chuunin exams, and that it was the best thing they could do to assist in getting her back. With higher ranks, it was more likely they'd be selected for such a mission. It was very fortunate that Kurenai had notified the Hokage in advance of their readiness to compete, or they might've run into some problems.

Then there was Ino, who Sakura had seen entering the room with her team. Sakura had very nearly gone over to ask Ino what she thought she was doing, but Kiba had grabbed Sakura's wrist to stop her. He could tell that Ino was uncertain but determined, and a confrontation with Sakura would not be good for either of them in their current states.

But the bigger, more unpleasant shock was the entrance of Gaara's squad. Ino had gone rigid upon seeing Sasuke, and so had Sakura, but for an entirely different reason. She was still angry at the Uchiha for assuming that she would quit being a kunoichi just because he'd told her to.

"Why are they here?" she muttered angrily. "I thought-"

"Sakura," Shino interrupted. "Before you ask that question, you should consider what might necessitate the presence of Gaara's team."

Sakura blinked, and her eyes widened in realization. If an ANBU squad was posing as a genin team, then Kurenai's situation might be the least of their problems.

Not too far away, Shikamaru was having his own doubts. He was no optimist, and he knew the chances of his team getting to the final rounds were slim to none, and that was without considering Ino's problems. Sure, she knew some powerful genjutsu, but without the needed control, she was just a weapon that could easily turn on him and Chouji. On the other hand, he was pretty confident that he could stop her, if it came to that. His mastery of one-handed seals had greatly increased his control over shadows, as well as his other jutsu. That meant he wouldn't waste nearly as much chakra as he once had, and that would make a big difference in the long run.

Shikamaru was still calculating his team's chances when something truly odd happened. Shino broke away from his team, walked straight towards him, and said, "Shikamaru, I need to speak with you in private."

Chouji actually stopped chewing the mouthful of chips he'd been working on, and Ino turned to give Shikamaru a halfway curious look.

By then, Shino had walked past him and moved closer to the wall, so Shikamaru shrugged and followed him. None of them knew much about Shino, except that he used bugs in his jutsu, but they'd also never run into any major problems with him, so Shikamaru didn't see any problem with talking to him for a minute. He casually leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. "So what's up, Shino?"

"Aburame. Nara. Listen closely."

Shikamaru blinked, knowing full well that voice had been Gaara's. He glanced down, not completely surprised to see a miniature sand clone of Gaara standing in Shino's hand. It was only slightly larger than one of Shino's bugs, and pretty easy to overlook.

"You and your teams need to be extremely cautious," the tiny Gaara told them. "There are many powerful enemies currently in Konoha, and they will attempt to rise up against us during the exams. Should you spot anything suspicious, immediately report it to my team or an examiner. I realize this may endanger your chances of being promoted, but keep in mind that commendable actions during wartime are much more important to your service records and the village, and could easily earn you a promotion as well. No matter what you decide, I suggest you use Aburame's bugs to keep track of your fellow Leaf-nin, should anything go wrong."

"Does this have anything to do with Naruto?" Shikamaru asked.

Gaara paused. "Yes, and no. He has nothing against you personally, but this village has been a great source of abuse for him. His role is unclear, for now. However, there will be a single team of Cloud-nin participating. They are allies of the Hokage, but they have a separate mission, so do not interfere with them if you can avoid it."

"This all sounds way too troublesome," Shikamaru sighed as Shino closed his hand around the sand clone.

"For once, I am inclined to agree," Shino stated.

Seconds later, the Cloud team entered, and drew some immediate reactions. Neji's face twisted into a fearsome scowl, Kiba and Sakura went over to talk to them, and Akamaru started playfully chasing another white dog that had come in with them.

All the noise in the room died down, however, when the Sand team entered. Shikamaru immediately saw why: Naruto was barely recognizable as himself, and looked more animal than human. Several teams slipped out of the room in fear, while others quickly looked away to avoid the boy's piercing glare.

"Why do I wanna be a chuunin again?" Shikamaru muttered to himself as he rejoined his team. "Things are only going to get worse from this point on..."

**End of Chapter 26.**

* * *

Next Chapter: The Cloud team comes up with a unique way to cheat on Ibiki's exam. Sasuke meets Orochimaru, but Gaara and Hinata ruin the introduction. Neji learns not to take his personal issues out on Cloud-nin who can kick his butt. Ino shines… but for how long? Oh, and you'll get to see the long term effects of Usako's blood jutsu on Gaara's squad.

Endnotes:

Usako: bunny

I see there's some confusion about Kisame's true nature. Well, that's fine. More on that later.

Again, here, Tobi is NOT Obito, or Madara. He's just Tobi. And Tobi comes from Konoha, as far as I'm concerned.

I tried to stay true to Hidan's attack style, although I probably threw in a bit more blood than was called for and got rid of the speeches.

Usako is another OC, and no, it's not her real name. It's just a nickname Anko uses to describe the way she moves. And I totally ripped off another Avatar attack, but they're so damn COOL that it's hard not to.

Kisame's ability:

**Amenbo (Water Strider):**

Kisame's speed naturally increases in water, and he can also excrete a thin layer of water from his pores, not unlike sweat, for small boosts during battle.

Itachi's jutsu:

**Shoten no Jutsu (Shapeshifting Technique):**

This technique uses human sacrifices to create a perfect copy of another person, controlled remotely by the original. The clones formed possess any unique genetic traits or weapons the original has, but its abilities are proportionate to the amount of chakra given to the clone. This jutsu can't be seen through by the Sharingan or Byakugan. Once the chakra runs out and the sacrificial body dies, the shapeshifter jutsu will end and the lifeless body used will be revealed. (Here, Itachi has modified the jutsu and added much more chakra, so that it not only copies someone else, but also doesn't kill sacrificed body).

Hidan's jutsu:

**Jashin Hijutsu: Eikyouken (Jashin Secret Technique: Sphere of Influence):**

The user has total control over anything that is surrounded by a circle of their blood. A single jutsu, even if it normally only does small-scale damage, will impact the entire area.

**Kuchiyose: Chimamire Daikama (Summoning: Bloody Scythe):**

The user summons one or more scythe(s), which bursts violently from the body. The blood that coats the blades increases their cutting power, and with enough chakra, a single swing could slice through a mountain.

**Katon: Gouka (Fire Release: Hellfire):**

The user breathes out accursed red flames that burn until they have completely consumed their target.

Usako's bloodline limit/jutsu:

**Mizugumo Seirei (Water Spider Spirit): **

Users of Usako's bloodline are known for moving at high speeds over and in water, and can manipulate water to such a degree that they can extract it forcefully from living beings, causing instant death by dehydration. ("Mizugumo" is Japanese for an actual spider species, but it's also described as "ninja water-walking shoes," which makes me wonder if Naruto and pals are cheating, or being cheated; maybe nobody told them about the shoes... can't have genin water-walking the lazy way, I guess)

**Ketsuryuu Seifu: (Blood Flow Plus and Minus):**

By seizing control of the blood in a person's body, the user is able to increase or decrease the speed at which blood flows through the body. Reducing or cutting off the flow is useful to stop bleeding, but can also be a harmful attack. Increasing the flow forces the heart to work harder, which allows brief bursts of increased activity, but could lead to heart problems over longer periods. Undergoing either kind of stress leaves an imprint on the target's body, especially in the latter case, which allows them to return to that state for just a few moments.

Naruto's jutsu:

**Makyou Shikyaku no Jutsu (Demonic Four Legs Technique):**

Unlike the original Inuzuka technique, this one draws out demonic chakra from a demon vessel, and temporarily fuses the chakra with the outer body, allowing for increases in speed and strength. The user will also gain other traits from their demon, such as physical features and instinctive behavior.


	27. Strangers with Cursed Candy

Notes: I think we can all agree there are a ton of fanfics that more or less follow canon with only small changes, otherwise preserving the scenes word for word. So I'm not going to copy any scenes, word for word, that you've seen a million times: it would only bore both of us, and I am FAR too lazy to copy and paste THAT much. Recall that Kabuto is posing as the jounin sensei of the Sand team, and assume that nothing too interesting happens in the waiting room before the written test.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 27: Strangers with Cursed Candy**

* * *

_Konoha – Dancing Leaf Hotel – Room 204 – July_

Tayuya was not an early riser unless she absolutely had to be. No one less than Orochimaru or Kimimaro had ever been able to safely drag her out of bed, a fact she took much pride in. Iruka didn't really count, since he seemed to like it when she woke up swinging at him. At first, she'd thought it was because he was into that sort of thing, but lately she'd come to realize it was usually because he'd woken her with a kiss.

This morning, there was no kiss. Instead, Tayuya woke up on her own. Iruka was otherwise occupied, she found.

He was sitting at the foot of the bed, staring intently into the crystal ball that Orochimaru had given them. In it, Tayuya could see the Kyuubi brat and his team, surrounded by an ANBU escort.

Iruka's face was blank as he watched them move through the village, but his right arm twitched every few minutes.

"How long have you been doing that?" Tayuya asked, suspecting she wouldn't like the answer.

"Hours. Couldn't sleep."

"Why not?"

He gave her a funny look. "You tried to put my eye out with your flute when I spooned you."

Tayuya wasn't the least bit sorry about it, either. "Serves you right, fucker."

Iruka didn't react. He just turned his attention back to the crystal ball instead.

Curious, Tayuya decided to test something. She slowly eased her nightshirt down, exposing her bare shoulder.

No reaction.

Starting to get angry, Tayuya began to expose her left shoulder as well.

"Just take it off and I'll look," Iruka promised without looking up.

Muttering curses and blushing heavily, Tayuya quickly stomped into the bathroom. She had no idea why she was angry, though. If she really wanted Iruka's attention, she only had to use the seal. Well, really all she had to do was say so, but that was too… easy. It was what a normal, average, brainless girl would do, and she refused to sink to that level. It was no fun if she couldn't manipulate or force him into it. Making up her mind, she marched out of the bathroom, went over to the bed, and snatched up the crystal ball.

Iruka sighed and closed his eyes. "You're being awfully childish about this, Tayuya-chan. I have to watch him."

"Why?" she demanded.

"He's stronger now. He's even able to stay in a transformed state for an extended period."

Frowning, Tayuya checked the crystal ball. Sure enough, the brat looked half-fox to her. She found it amusing, the way he shot the villagers dirty looks as he passed them. Apparently his days of fearing them were long gone. Now he only had hate for them. She didn't care one way or the other, but she could understand where he was coming from. Fear made people weak, but hate could make them stronger. It was one of the first things Orochimaru had taught her.

Suddenly, she felt Iruka's arms around her waist, and his chest against her back. "What are you doing, shit stain?"

"Observing the target, like we were told to," he replied. "It's your fault for moving the crystal ball."

"You don't have to touch me to do that."

"No, but it's far more enjoyable that way, Tayuya-chan. For both of us. The seal tells me so."

"Shut up," she grumbled, her cheeks growing hot as she kept her eyes trained on the crystal ball. She nearly laughed when Naruto snapped at an old woman, causing her to drop the groceries she'd been carrying and flee in terror.

* * *

Shizune frowned as she watched, from a nearby street corner, while Naruto snarled at group of merchants. They hadn't done anything… well, technically they'd assumed he would steal their products before the boy even saw them, so by the time Naruto had actually reached them, they were already calling him "demon" and "monster." Of course, when they finally got a closer look at him, all the talking stopped at once. And curiously, though Naruto never raised a finger, a strong gust of wind suddenly shoved the merchants to the ground. Shizune was certain she'd seen a white blur vanishing into Naruto's collar, though.

"So he's got the kamaitachi contract," Tsunade murmured, calmly sipping her tea. She only drank it when Shizune refused to buy her sake… which was quite often, actually. "I had thought Chiyo would keep it locked up forever."

"Why is Kabuto with him?" Shizune asked hesitantly, fearing Tsunade's reaction.

"He's the boy's sensei, supposedly." With a loud sigh, Tsunade tossed her cup away, shaking her head as Shizune scrambled after it to keep her from littering. The girl just tried too hard sometimes. "Which also means Orochimaru has some interest in Naruto."

"Shouldn't we tell Sandaime-sama? He probably doesn't know that Kabuto-"

"He does. I met with him last night. Big mistake."

Shizune stared at her mentor strangely. "What do you mean?"

"Old goat conned me into being an exam proctor. Apparently Orochimaru doesn't like to play alone anymore. He brought friends this time, and one of them wounded Hayate pretty bad. I'm still amazed he's lived as long as he has, but I doubt he'll still be hanging around a year from now. And then there's Anko…"

"Do you think he planned to do this?" Shizune murmured. "Because she knew some of his secrets?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, I think he pissed off his playmates, and Anko just happened to be in the group that tracked them down. You know how she's the first to jump into a fight. It's just never backfired this badly before. Even I can't help her now."

Neither woman noticed a small, oil black toad watching them from the roof of a nearby rooftop. Satisfied that it had enough information, the pint-sized amphibian vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

_Konoha - Ninja Academy - July_

Sasuke had finished the insanely complex written exam in front of him in just fifteen minutes. This, however, did not please him. After all, he had been blessed with the Sharingan, so such a task was easily accomplished, with some help from the disguised chuunin a few rows in front of him. Still, if the guy hadn't wanted people to catch on, he shouldn't have filled out his exam so quickly.

But Sasuke's mind was on other things, and not Itachi, either. Not quite, anyway.

He kept going back to that cursed red and black mindscape, where he repeatedly watched his clan die around him. Only now, there was a new horror: the tall, thin, but powerful older version of himself advancing on Hinata with a sword drawn. He could not forget the things he'd said to her, the despair in her eyes as she'd stared up at him, or the way she had made absolutely no attempt to deny the false claims.

Even after they had emerged from that nightmare, Hinata had refused to discuss what they'd seen. Sasuke knew it was because she didn't want to admit the truth. Deep in her heart, she feared that version of him was still a possibility. Hinata feared that he might leave her behind, or turn on her to gain the Mangekyou Sharingan. And while Sasuke could not exactly blame her, the very idea still enraged him.

He loved Hinata, and for the first time in a long time, he'd told her so, loudly and forcefully.

But it had done little good: Hinata had just smiled faintly, kissed him goodnight, and gone to bed, doing her best not to touch him. She obviously believed him, but Sasuke understood why that knowledge wasn't enough.

Hadn't Itachi loved Shisui? It hadn't been enough then, so why would it be now, or later on?

Sasuke gritted his teeth, doing his best to calm down. But the matter was an open wound, now. How long had Hinata felt this way? How long had she doubted him? Why did she continue to stay with him, if she feared that outcome so much?

Because she loved him? Or because she knew it wasn't really Sasuke's fault? Itachi's shadow touched every aspect of their marriage, to some degree, despite Sasuke's best efforts. Hinata didn't make certain foods, because Itachi had preferred them. She didn't wake him up at certain times, because on some days he could still hear Itachi's near silent footfalls leaving for early patrol duty. It had taken Sasuke nearly three months to notice that Hinata avoided kissing the center of his forehead when she could, because that was where Itachi had always poked him, and the realization made Sasuke violently sick for a whole week. Often, he did not have to ask Hinata not to do things that would remind them of Itachi: she just knew, because she had known Itachi, however briefly.

This particular morning, Hinata hadn't even kissed him. Sasuke was shocked by how much he'd missed such a little thing, and how awkward it had been when she'd hugged him tightly instead. Even Gaara had paused when he'd noticed, although of course he'd said nothing.

It wasn't fair. Sasuke hadn't asked for his brother to be a murderous psychopath. He certainly hadn't asked for his clan to die, or for those two facts to haunt him for the rest of his days. But they did, and they would, and there was little he could do about that, for now.

* * *

Naruto's test paper was completely filled out. All of the answers were wrong, though, and that was done on purpose. Near the bottom of the paper, hidden beneath a small but powerful genjutsu, he'd written, "You should probably fail anyone stupid enough to copy these answers." He estimated that only someone of Morino Ibiki's experience could break such a genjutsu, and that alone would be worth a passing grade.

* * *

Shikamaru was far too lazy to fill out his test paper, even though he actually knew most of the answers. So he just waited until the disguised chuunin two rows in front of him finished, caught his shadow, and forced him to switch papers with a subtle, one-handed replacement jutsu. Anyone watching would only see the chuunin switching papers with someone else, and they weren't going to disqualify him for cheating. The chuunin immediately looked around the room with wide eyes, but by then, Shikamaru already had his own name on the stolen test, and his head down for a well-deserved nap.

* * *

Ino smirked as she saw Shikamaru steal the paper of the man next to her. There was no way her teammate would steal a less than perfect paper. Ino planned to do the same, and to the same man, no less, but in an entirely different way.

Still, he wasn't a chuunin for nothing, and he noticed the slight flare of killer intent coming off of her. Ino just smiled sweetly at him... even as she gently pressed a kunai against his crotch.

Five minutes later, Ino had a perfect paper, and the chuunin raised his hand to quit, shaking badly. Ibiki rolled his eyes, but dismissed him and his fake teammates.

* * *

Twenty minutes into the test, an impenetrable black mist descended over the entire classroom. Gaara merely closed his eyes, recognizing the handiwork of Yugito, Haku, and Kyojuu. He was still a little amazed that they'd created a three-man jutsu overnight, but Yugito had been concerned that they might need to get some things done under the cover of darkness.

The mist was a combination of each of their unique talents: Haku's Kirigakure no Jutsu formed the base, Yugito's Kokuangyo no Jutsu (Bringer of Darkness Technique) layered on top of it, and both being fueled by Kyojuu, who simultaneously increased the moisture in the air and pumped a great deal of chakra into the genjutsu, making it virtually impossible for anyone below jounin to break.

Roughly ten minutes later, the mist parted and vanished. Several teams suddenly found that their test papers were gone without a trace.

Gaara just smirked and waited for the first exam to end.

* * *

Kin frowned as she put down her pencil and glanced towards the front of the room. From her seat in the back row, she barely recognized the back of Naruto's head. He seemed like a completely different person, in appearance and attitude. She had thought that upon seeing him again, she'd have to fight the impulse to hug him. But seeing him like this, his outer body tainted by Kyuubi's influence, only made her heart ache. He was not the same Naruto that had made her smile or won her heart. But then, if he had been, Kin probably wouldn't have been able to convince anyone watching that they were total strangers, and the illusion would be ruined.

She hadn't realized how hard it would be, pretending she didn't know him. It wasn't... natural, not after all the time they'd spent together. Naruto hadn't even looked at her yet, and that was probably for the best. Maybe this was just as hard on him as it was on her. It was a small comfort, but it was all she had, for the moment. If Naruto could endure this, then so would she. To do anything less might expose Orochimaru's plans... and Kin knew she could not afford to fail the Snake Sannin again.

* * *

_Konoha - Hokage's Office - July_

"Nothing in our little corner of the world seems to make sense anymore," the Sandaime Hokage whispered to himself as he stared out of his window at the four faces of the Hokage Monument.

The Yondaime Hokage had said the very same thing to him, right before leaving to seal a fearsome demon inside of a newborn baby.

Sighing, the old man glanced again at the medical report on his desk. He had always feared that he would be unable to protect Anko from her former sensei. Yet he hadn't foreseen that her death would come at the hands of Akatsuki, and right under his nose.

The report was as clear as it could be, and yet there were questions left unanswered. Hoshigaki Kisame's demonic chakra was perhaps the most puzzling issue. The Sandaime had not detected any flare of demonic chakra, and had only known of the situation when he sensed the enormous release of chakra that was Kakashi's Raikiri. But by the time ANBU arrived at the hotel, Kisame was gone.

Anko insisted that Kisame was actually a demon: not a sealed vessel, but a pure, flesh and blood demon. Perhaps because the villagers had used the very same claim against Naruto and Gaara, the Hokage had been reluctant to believe her. But the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. It was highly unlikely that there were only nine demons in the world... and how had Kyuubi and the others like him became greater demons if there were no lesser ones? Still, it was never an issue the Sandaime had needed to consider before, so accepting it now was a bit difficult. But if Kisame's chakra were not as strong as a greater demon's, that might explain why no one had sensed it... and if they had, maybe they had not recognized it for what it truly was.

Still, because this was the first time that a lesser demon had been an issue, the Sandaime knew of no surefire way to heal Anko's wound. Worse, anything he might have considered trying would almost certainly have a negative effect on her cursed seal, possibly reactivating it. That would only serve to torture Anko, and her suffering would be like a beacon for Orochimaru.

It had been especially difficult for the old man to accept that Anko was going to die. Despite how often they butted heads, or even because of it, he thought of her as an unruly daughter. He was glad that she had Kakashi and Gaara to lean on, for however long her life lasted. But he did worry how Gaara would react to losing a second mother. With any luck, Anko would remain among the living for the duration of the chuunin exams. If not, there was a very good chance that Konoha wouldn't need to worry about attack from enemies, with a rampaging Shukaku to deal with first.

* * *

Most of the remaining chuunin hopefuls were still reeling from the fact that they had somehow just passed the first portion of the exams. Ibiki couldn't help the smirk on his face, expecting such reactions from his little mind games.

His enjoyment faded, however, when a large puff of smoke announced the arrival of a cloaked, hooded ANBU.

"Excuse me, Morino-san," the masked woman said softly, "but I will be replacing Anko as the second stage proctor."

Ibiki nodded, having heard all about Anko's recent mishap. "Understood. They're all yours."

Before Usako could even begin to introduce herself, there was a cry of protest from the back of the room.

"Hold on!" an angry boy from the Rain shouted. "How are we supposed to trust someone that won't even show us their face?"

"What ever gave you the impression that you could trust any of your proctors?" Usako countered. "You are to obey us, yes, but beyond that, you are ninja, however inexperienced. If you can't look after yourselves by this point, you shouldn't be here. Besides, seeing my face would only give me more reason to kill you. So I suggest you take your seat, young man. Or did you come this far just to get your whole team disqualified by being nosy and rude?"

Whatever response the Rain genin might've had was quickly shouted down by his teammates. Grumbling, he sat back down, glaring at everyone.

"You have every right to be concerned, however," Usako admitted. "My arrival comes along with another change. Since I am now your proctor, the format of the second stage has been changed to suit my tastes. And before I get any complaints, I will say only two things. First, it is your job to overcome any challenge this exam throws at you. Saying it's too difficult only proves you aren't prepared. Next, it is impossible to cheat in this portion, because the rules themselves are fairly open, and so long as you meet certain goals, you can make your own rules. Now, assuming no one would like to quit, we will proceed immediately to the next testing ground."

* * *

_Konoha - Outside Training Area 44 (Forest of Death) - July_

Haku closed his eyes and leaned against a tree, doing his best to remain unremarkable. Fortunately, he was not the only participant wearing a mask, so no one paid him much attention, and that was for the best. He was still worried that Ino might recognize... something about him, so he'd done his best to stay away from her. Luckily, she'd been too distracted so far to even glance in his direction.

He was amazed by how much she'd changed. She was more reserved now, not doing anything unless it was necessary, including speaking to her own teammates. But she was also wisely conserving her talents for when she truly needed them. And yet... she wasn't really living. It made him proud, but very sad as well.

Suddenly, a tall, imposing Grass genin moved past their group, not even glancing at them.

Yugito instantly stiffened, her head snapping up in shock.

Kyojuu eyed her curiously. "What is it, Yugito-chan?"

"That... woman," she whispered with wide eyes. "For a second, she smelled like... or I thought I smelled..."

"What?" Haku asked.

There was a long pause before Yugito shook her head. "No. I was probably just imagining it. That'd be impossible." But as she turned away from her teammates, the Nibi spoke into her head.

"You were not mistaken, Yugito. That person... smelled of the Hachibi, Yamata no Orochi, however faintly."

"But you told me that it had been captured and sealed! You felt it leave this plane!"

"That is what I believed, at the time," the Nibi replied. "But things are not always what they seem with that one. Yet my nose is never wrong about such things. However, I do not believe that Grass-nin is a true demon vessel. Something about that person... is wrong. Be wary of her."

Yugito quickly caught Gaara's eye and subtly gestured towards the Grass-nin. She thought about doing the same with Naruto, but there was no point. Naruto was crouched between Temari and Kankurou, keeping his head down and digging up clumps of dirt with his claws to pass the time. But she had to warn him somehow.

She was still trying to come up with a plan when Kyojuu suddenly moved past her, heading straight for the Sand team.

Temari glanced at him, frowned, but said nothing. She'd seen him at the Uchiha compound, and knew what he was, but was uncertain of where his loyalty currently was. Either way, he probably shouldn't be talking to them in front of anyone else.

Kyojuu knelt down in front of Naruto. "If you're looking for snakes in the grass, that's the wrong grass," he muttered.

Naruto raised his head enough to glare, then flicked some of the dirt off of his claws... in the same direction the Grass-nin had just gone.

Smirking, Kyojuu stood up again. "Don't get cocky," he said loud enough for everyone to hear. "We're the only team our village needed to send, too. You guys don't stand a chance."

"We'll see," Kankurou stated, getting in on the act.

Kyojuu walked back over to his teammates. "That what you were going for, Yugito-chan?"

"Well, it's not exactly how I would've done it," Yugito replied with a smile, "but you got the job done, as always. Thanks, Kyojuu-kun."

Haku was about to say something, but two things stopped him. The first was that Kyojuu reached over and poked him in the shoulder, allowing a tiny, brown beetle of some sort to climb onto him. The second was that the unnamed proctor was staring at Haku. He hoped she was just comparing masks, but doubted it. Haku's new mask looked much like his old Mist hunter mask, except that it was gray and marked him as a Cloud-nin.

Finally, the proctor looked away and raised her voice. "It is time to begin the second portion of the chuunin exams. As I said before, I have altered the test somewhat. Now let me explain why. I was just a girl when I first wandered into the Fire Country. My family had been killed by Mist ninja, and the Mizukage had placed a bounty on my head. My family held a rare bloodline limit, and because we chose not to fight for the Mizukage, he demanded that we be wiped out. I happened to run across a Leaf genin and her jounin sensei, and though they had no reason to, they rescued me and killed my pursuers. But for all intents and purposes, until I officially became a Leaf genin months later, I was still a Mist ninja, being hunted by my own comrades."

"But you chose not to serve your Kage," Shikamaru said. "Some would argue that alone made you a traitor, and running from your village effectively made you a missing-nin."

"A good point," the proctor agreed. "However, at the time, I still thought of myself as being loyal to the Mist. But I could hardly serve a leader that actively sought my death. So my choices were to be a loyal but soon to be dead fool, or a 'traitorous' live refugee. I chose the latter, and have never regretted it."

"So during this next test, we can't trust anyone but our own teammates?" Sasuke asked.

"Essentially. The goal is to proceed through the forest to the tower at the center. Along the way, you must obtain an identifying mark of another participant's village of origin. The most obvious example is a headband with the village's mark. Each member of your team must do this, no exceptions. You may take an identifying mark from a participant who comes from the same village as you. However, that mark MUST come from another participant. We will know if you simply had two headbands before you began the test. Any team that arrives at the tower without three separate identifying marks from other participants will be denied access to the next test. You have... three days to complete this task."

"Hold on! We're supposed to risk our headbands, just like that?! We worked hard for these!" an angry voice shouted. Not surprisingly, it was the same Rain genin that clearly hadn't learned his lesson from the first exam.

"The assumption is that you would guard them with your life. Without it, you only have so much proof that you are a ninja. And if you would allow someone to take it from you, then you hardly deserve to be a ninja. And no, they won't be returned if they are taken. You will go back to your village in shame. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they refused to provide you with another. I certainly wouldn't."

"And if we want to give up in the middle of the test?" Shikamaru asked.

"Then I suggest you drop your headbands, or offer them to the nearest team, and hope they don't decide to take anything else. You cannot quit in the middle of a mission, and you cannot quit here. Likewise, the possibility of death is very real. Your village leaders understood that when they agreed to send you here, so if you die, the blame rests entirely on you and your teammates."

"Huh. Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head.

"You have received your instructions," the proctor said, taking out a scroll and opening it. "Find your assigned gate on the scroll. We will begin in thirty minutes."

* * *

Shino didn't show it, but he was worried. Even after placing a female beetle on most of their allies, he didn't like the format of the second test. If push came to shove, they might have to attack another team from the Leaf to advance to the final stage. And even that option held far too many unknowns.

Attacking Gaara's squad was simply out of the question. The same went for the Cloud team.

Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji had been likely targets, but word of Ino's new genjutsu skills had spread fast. Shino worried that Kiba's enhanced senses might make him doubly vulnerable to such an attack, even with Kurenai's training.

Trying to go against Neji, Lee, and Tenten was also a bad idea. They had far more experience, and all three were so skilled in taijutsu that they could probably make it through the exams using that alone.

The Sand team was probably off-limits as well. Naruto alone looked like he'd be a challenge for any team, while his teammates looked confident enough that they shouldn't be underestimated, either.

Shino was willing to bet money that everybody would be targeting the Rain team, simply because one of them was clearly an idiot.

So far, one of their best targets seemed to be the Sound team. Shino didn't like the odd noises his beetles occasionally picked up from them, and neither did Akamaru, but at the very least, the Sound-nin would be easy to track.

On the other hand, there were plenty of other Leaf teams to choose from, some of which did not contain a well-known bloodline limit. It would all depend on which team they ran into first.

"Something wrong, Shino?" Kiba asked suddenly.

"Just thinking," Shino replied quietly. "Perhaps we should proceed directly to the tower, and then wait for the other teams to arrive."

"Because they'll already have an extra set of headbands?"

"And because they'll probably be exhausted from fighting off the other teams," Sakura added as she passed the time by carefully brushing Akamaru's fur. "Either way, they'll have to go through us. Shino can drain what's left of their chakra, while Kiba and I do the dirty work."

Kiba grinned. "I do love the dirty work."

* * *

The moment the gates were unlocked, the Rain team rushed forward, straight into an ambush. A huge blast of wind roughly slammed all three of them into a tree, where they collapsed, clearly unconscious. Only a few seconds later, a Grass kunoichi pocketed all three of their headbands, and slipped away as quickly and quietly as she had come.

* * *

_Konoha - Forest of Death - Day 1 - July_

Each member of Gaara's squad was a bit preoccupied as they sped through the forest on a floating platform of sand and rock.

Hinata was worried about Sasuke, partially because she wanted to trust him but couldn't, and partially because she'd seen the look the Sound team had been giving him.

Sasuke was angry at himself, at Hinata, and, as usual, at Itachi.

Gaara was still reflecting on how much more powerful he now felt, thanks to Usako's jutsu. He could tell that his control over sand and earth in general had improved, and he could also enter his own mindscape to check on Shukaku's condition, or his mother and uncle, whenever he wanted. And that was all without activating the increased blood flow. There was no telling what he'd be able to do with it.

None of these thoughts kept them from functioning, though. Hinata was constantly scanning ahead with her Byakugan, while Sasuke made sure they weren't being approached from behind. Gaara was constantly changing the speed of the platform, making it much harder for anyone to target them accurately.

And yet, someone did.

All three of them heard and saw the huge blast of wind coming straight at them, but at Gaara's signal, none of them tried to dodge. At the very last second, Gaara broke apart the platform and used the larger pieces to shield them from the worst of the attack. Still, they were separated, Sasuke more noticeably than the others: he was obviously the target.

Sasuke was back on his feet by the time the Grass kunoichi stepped into view, a sick smile plastered across her face.

"Ah, the famous Uchiha Sasuke all alone. I wonder if you are really as talented as they say, boy."

"You can ask the last person that asked me that, when you join him in death," Sasuke replied evenly. He saw no point in adding that the aforementioned person was back among.

But the Grass kunoichi showed no signs of being intimidated, and this didn't quite surprise Sasuke. Anyone bold enough to attack him clearly wasn't walking away without a fight, not that he had any intention of letting them. He was slightly troubled that he couldn't sense Hinata and Gaara nearby, which meant they hadn't surrounded the Grass kunoichi as planned. The reason for this became all too clear when there was a blue flash of light, which could only have come from Hinata's sword.

In the instant that Sasuke was distracted, the Grass kunoichi was upon him. Her speed was alarming: Sasuke hadn't bothered to activate his Sharingan beforehand, thinking he wouldn't need it. Even in the split-second that it took to activate the Sharingan, Sasuke failed to dodge three solid blows to his chest, powerful enough to momentarily knock the wind out of him.

"Show me," the Grass kunoichi giggled insanely as Sasuke stumbled away from her. "Show me the supposed might of the Uchiha Clan!" Licking her lips with an abnormally long tongue, she rushed him again.

Sasuke was ready for her this time... but only just. His Sharingan could track her movements, but there was almost no time to dodge. This was an astounding fact, considering that Sasuke and Hinata had spent months increasing their speed by dodging attacks from Gaara's sand. To his knowledge, almost nothing had been faster. Yet this Grass kunoichi was... but only by a little. All this meant was that out of six or seven blows, Sasuke managed to dodge maybe four consistently. He could usually twist in time to take the worst blows to non-vital areas, but then she wasn't using lethal force.

She was testing him, and that angered Sasuke more than anything else. He was not some experiment to be toyed with, and he would not be insulted by an enemy giving anything less than their best.

"Can this really be all that you have to offer?" the Grass kunoichi asked, sneering at him. "I was under the impression that the Uchiha were to be feared. Maybe that's wrong... or maybe you're just a useless runt. Perhaps you had an older brother who was much more powerful..."

Sasuke was no idiot; in that moment he knew that the Grass kunoichi knew about Itachi, and knew that it was a sore topic with him. But none of that prevented the blind rage that settled firmly around his brain. He had honestly been holding back for the sake of the mission, but he was rarely ever in a mood to ignore insults, and he certainly never ignored any mention of Itachi.

With a howl of fury, Sasuke threw himself at the kunoichi, and she responded accordingly, planting a foot directly in the center of his chest. She frowned, however, when Sasuke smirked and exploded into flying rocks and large clods of dirt. The explosion was too small to cause any real damage, but it was distracting... too distracting, the kunoichi realized as she spun around, just in time to come face to face with three Sasukes, all of whom spat out searing flames directly into her face.

Screeching in rage and pain, the Grass kunoichi leaped away blindly, unable to see that two of her attackers had stretched out several lengths of thin but powerful wire between them, and in the space of a few seconds, had quickly bound her arms and legs. The third, final Sasuke had hung back, and one his clones were clear, drew one of the swords secured on his back and held it tightly before him.

"Amekaze," he breathed, grinning as the sword responded instantly, unleashing a powerful stream of water that slammed into the kunoichi, knocking her to the ground and effectively drenching her. Then Sasuke reached for his remaining sword, crossing both blades as the kunoichi struggled to free herself. "Raiden," Sasuke muttered with grim satisfaction as golden electricity began to dance around the sword.

The Grass kunoichi's eyes widened, now understanding why he'd gone through the trouble of soaking her first, but by then the first bolt had hit her, and all she knew were the sounds of her own screams.

* * *

_Fire Country - Fire Lord's Castle - July_

Kaguya Kimimaro was thought by most to be a very fortunate young man. He possessed a very rare and powerful bloodline limit, had somehow escaped the slaughter of his entire clan, and was now one of the youngest Wind Lords in history.

Kimimaro didn't consider himself so fortunate, however. He was dying, and there was no cure for his disease. So he had stopped looking for cures, and started looking for solutions. Not surprisingly, as he now had a great deal of resources at his disposal, he had found an answer.

Amazingly enough, it had been right under his nose the entire time. Perhaps if Orochimaru had not had such a low opinion of demon vessels in general, Kimimaro might have found the solution to his problem sooner. Still, he could understand his lord's disgust with such creatures.

The problem with demon vessels was that there was almost always some danger of falling under the demon's control. Orochimaru was all about control, so long as he was the one in control. It was why he'd left Akatsuki, it was why he hated Uchiha Itachi, and it was why he'd set his sights on Itachi's younger brother.

For all of Orochimaru's failings, his plans often did work, and Kimimaro had learned from the Snake Sannin. This latest scheme was something he wouldn't have dared to attempt without Orochimaru's permission, and amazingly, he'd gotten it. Kimimaro had not expected his lord to risk a member of the Sound Four so readily, but Orochimaru had only smiled and said the new, improved Sound Four would be worth the cost.

Tbat was how Kimimaro found himself in the bowels of the Fire Lord's castle, all but barricaded inside one of the older storage rooms. He'd recieved many strange looks upon requesting the space, not just for the night, but for the duration of his stay at the castle. The Fire Lord had asked no questions, probably because he was used to his guests demanding extravagant conditions; Kimimaro's request was easily met.

The room itself was mostly bare, save for a small cot and the numerous paper seals that Kimimaro had carefully applied to nearly every inch of the walls and ceiling. He was seated on the cot, dressed in the dark violet robes of the Wind Lord, staring patiently at door when there came a loud knock at it.

"Please excuse the interruption, Kaguya-sama," said a servant, "but the runner has arrived with your medicine."

Kimimaro swiftly rose and crossed the room, unlocking the door and pulling it open to reveal a nervous servant, and just behind him, a smirking Sakon dressed in civilian clothes. "We are not to be disturbed," Kimimaro said to the servant, shutting the door tightly once Sakon had slipped past him.

"You could've at least asked for a nicer room," Sakon complained. "They're going to think you're nuts, hiding out down here when you're supposed to be royalty."

"We have more important things to worry about," Kimimaro replied, picking up a kunai from his cot. "Sit. It will take some time to construct the seal and draw enough blood, even with both of you helping. Remember that the blood must come from both of you, or the seal will fail."

"I was prepped for this, you know," Sakon grumbled, dropping the pack he carried on his back before sitting down. "Not like I had much else to do in between delivering your medicine every month. I still don't see why you couldn't have just taken a bunch of doses with you."

"Because then someone here could've easily poisoned it. Besides, having you bring it directly from Kabuto gave you something to do, and you two are always complaining about boredom."

"It IS boring," Sakon insisted, accepting the kunai. He slowly drew the blade up one forearm, then exchanged hands and did the other. After that, two more arms extended from his chest, and Sakon marked those as well. The blood flowed steadily, pooling at his feet.

Kimimaro knelt down and dipped a small brush into the blood, quickly printing small red characters around Sakon's body. "Orochimaru-sama told you that the seal might cause some discomfort for your brother?"

"No, but I'm not surprised he left that part out," Sakon stated. "I doubt it's anything Ukon can't handle."

"Very well." Rising to his feet, Kimimaro performed a long series of hand seals, then pressed his palms flat against the floor. "Kaze Daimyo Kinjutsu: Kaze no Juin!"

Sakon's body stiffened as the entire room filled with blood-red light and rushing wind. The pain he'd been expecting was curiously missing, in fact, he could barely feel anything at all.

"For what it's worth," Kimimaro said slowly, barely audible over the noise, "I will put both of your bodies to good use."

Sakon's eyes widened in alarm. "Kimimaro... what the hell are you-"

"You have served Orochimaru-sama well, Sakon and Ukon... but this way, you will serve him more efficiently... as part of my new body."

"Bastard!" Sakon howled. "That wasn't the plan!"

"Unfortunately for you, Sakon, that was always the plan. Fear not, I will always honor your sacrifice."

"You're not sacrificing me or my brother!" Sakon shouted. Immediately, the cursed seal on his forehead began to glow as well.

Kimimaro merely smirked. "Clearly, you didn't listen when Orochimaru-sama told you that you were no match for me. And just so you know, drawing on the power of your cursed seal only makes this easier for me."

"You're bluffing," Sakon grunted as he rose unsteadily to his feet, his skin now dark red, and a long horn protruding from his forehead.

"Sadly, I am not." Kimimaro pulled open his robes, revealing a complex seal array on his stomach, drawn in his own blood. "Farewell, Sakon." With that, Kimimaro merely molded a bit of chakra.

The roar of wind in the room nearly doubled as Kimimaro's seal array lit up, creating a powerful vacuum. Sakon didn't even have time to scream as he was yanked off of his feet.

There was a brilliant flash of white light, and then, suddenly, silence.

Sighing, Kimimaro gently passed his hand over the new, completed seal array. "I am sorry, Sakon... Ukon... but you played your parts well." He frowned, turned his head, and immediately spat out a thick, black substance that began to sizzle as it splashed onto the floor.

"Excellent. My control over this body is now perfect, and my disease is no longer an issue. Orochimaru-sama will be pleased." Kimimaro flicked his wrist, dropping a large bone growth from his palm. It rapidly grew and took shape, becoming a slightly smaller clone of himself. "You will stay here and carry out my duties until I dismiss you," he told it. "I will return to Orochimaru-sama's side. There is much for me to do..."

* * *

_Konoha - Forest of Death - Day 1 - July_

The Sand team had only been in the forest for ten minutes when they encountered the Cloud team. This might have seemed like an incredible coincidence, except that Naruto knew for a fact that Yugito had been tracking him specifically.

But the Sand Siblings were stunned, when, instead of fighting, the Cloud team merely surrendered their headbands without a fight.

Naruto's red eyes widened and flashed blue for a few seconds. "Yugito... why?" he whispered.

"My team doesn't need to pass this exam, Naruto-kun," Yugito explained with a smile. "We may not have the official rank, but we know what we're capable of. There are more important things for us. Good luck."

"So what are you guys doing here?" Temari asked.

"Gaara's squad may need our help. Each of them is being targeted by a different threat."

"They're to the north," Kyojuu said, sniffing loudly. "And they're not alone."

Yugito nodded, and in an instant, she and her team were gone.

Temari frowned, turning to Naruto. "What do you want to do, Naruto?"

"We go to the tower first," Naruto said after a moment. "We can always double back after that... if we have to."

* * *

Beating up on another team from the Leaf had left a bad taste in Sakura's mouth. On the other hand, it was their fault for falling into such an obvious trap. It wasn't her fault that everyone assumed that pink hair translated into weakness. And it wasn't like they'd known any of the older genin personally. That had made breaking their jaws a little easier, at least in Sakura's case.

The only reason she hadn't argued was because Kiba was sure that they had all the proof they needed. He had it on good authority that there would be Inuzuka dogs at the tower, checking the scents on all of the stolen headbands and property.

Shino had steered them away from any team that he'd planted one of his bugs on, while Kiba and Akamaru helped them avoid everyone else by scent.

But Sakura had noticed that Shino was pretty distracted. This in itself was big news, since it was very hard to tell when Shino was feeling... well, anything. At the same time, she'd known better than to pry. Shino was a private individual, but normally he wouldn't hesitate to share information that impacted the team.

Then again, Sakura and Kiba were preoccupied with their own thoughts. They were both concerned about Naruto's transformation, Kiba especially, since he feared that Naruto's changes might even be permanent, if the jutsu was activated for too long. Of course, the mere fact that Naruto had enough chakra to keep the jutsu going as long as he had was worrying, too. Even Gaara conserved his chakra wisely, using the least amount possible to get the job done. Naruto either lacked the same chakra control, or had far larger chakra reserves.

"The tower's dead ahead," Kiba said suddenly, a grin spreading across his face.

"How do you know?" Sakura asked.

"I'd know an Inuzuka dog's scent anywhere," he replied confidently, and Akamaru barked in agreement.

Sure enough, within a few minutes, the team entered a large clearing. The tower loomed before them, and at least one Inuzuka, their dog, and another Leaf-nin blocked each entrance.

Sakura spotted Kiba's mother and sister right away, and had to suppress the urge to wave to them. She was pretty sure that Kiba would pick any other entrance, just to avoid being embarrassed by his immediate family.

Their plans were ruined, however, when Shino moved past them, heading directly for Kiba's mother.

Kiba scowled and darted after him, but Shino had already presented his captured Leaf headband for inspection. Tsume's dog, Kuromaru, sniffed the headband for a moment before nodding.

"We'll just need to see two more of those before you can pass through," Tsume reminded them.

Sakura had to grab Kiba's sleeve and tug him forward, offering both of their captured headbands to Kuromaru. She noticed that he sniffed them separately, and realized that neither he nor Tsume were going to give them any shortcuts.

"Alright, go on in," Tsume said once Kuromaru gave her the okay. "You should use this time to rest and recover. We'll call you when it's time to move on. Oh, and congratulations on being the first team to pass the second exam."

Kiba let out a loud whoop, holding up his hand for a high-five from Shino. Then he remembered who he was looking at, shrugged it off, and turned to give Sakura a big, celebratory hug.

Tsume's stern expression cracked into a smile, but only for an instant.

"Inuzuka-san, are we allowed to go back into the forest?"

Shino's question instantly brought the celebration to a halt.

"Technically, yes," Tsume replied. "Once a team has gained access to the tower, they can pretty much do whatever they want. In fact, from this point on, in the eyes of the examiners, you are really only individuals, not team members. Your choices no longer have any impact on the progress of your teammates. For example, if one of you were to die, the other two would still go to the next round." Her face hardened. "However, if ANY of you little brats get yourselves killed-"

"We won't, Ma," Kiba groaned, rolling his eyes.

Tsume sneered and punched him in the head. "You'd better not!"

Kiba glared at her, rubbing the rising bump on his head. Sakura had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Shaking her head, she bent down to scoop up Akamaru. "C'mon, Akamaru, let's get you some water."

Akamaru barked happily, licking her hand as she carried him into the tower.

Shino took one last, long look at the forest before following her inside.

Kiba had just slipped past his mother when Tsume called back to him.

"Oh, Kiba, I almost forgot. Hana's shift ends in an hour, and she's going to noogie you for at least that long for not going through her door."

Kiba cursed under his breath and hurried off to find a good hiding spot.

* * *

Sasuke was not an expert on killing people, but he was almost certain that they were supposed to stay dead... well, barring interference from Yugito, that is. And he had killed the Grass kunoichi three times now, first out of desperation, then annoyance, and now anger. But each time she dragged herself back to her feet, chuckling as if he'd just told a good joke.

Even after the first time, Sasuke hadn't been too alarmed. But now was a different story. He'd used more chakra and more damaging attacks with each attempt, convinced that it would be the last time he'd have to deal with her. Now, however, there was a very real risk that he'd lose this fight, because when his chakra ran out, there would be nothing stopping the Grass kunoichi from killing him. And there was little doubt in his mind of that: something in her eyes told him that merely taking his headband would not be enough.

"Don't tell me you're tired already, Sasuke-kun," the kunoichi purred, licking her lips again as she slowly moved towards him. "We were having so much fun!"

"Why won't you just die?!" Sasuke hissed as he charged, trying to skewer her on both of his swords.

But his enemy only swayed and dodged with relative ease, the smile never leaving her face as she stared into his eyes. "Oh, that's the one thing I could never do, Sasuke-kun. Power like mine cannot, will not die. That is why I will win this fight, and you... will win something else."

Sasuke quickly lost the little patience he had, his swings and slashes becoming wild and unpredictable... but he still could not land a single hit with his swords. Even if he wasn't using much chakra, he could feel his body growing tired with every attack. He wouldn't be able to keep up this pace for much longer.

"It's too bad," the Grass kunoichi teased as she tilted her head, just avoiding having Raiden thrust through her skull. "If you had more power, maybe you would be a match for me. Maybe then you wouldn't be so weak..."

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke roared, lunging forward and finally driving Amekaze right through her stomach. A satisfied grin spread across his face as real blood began to pour from the wound and soak his hand. This was the real thing, not a clone. But Sasuke's smile faded when he saw that the kunoichi was just staring down at him, that same grin on her face.

"I guess you got me," she said, slowly reaching up to tug at her cheekbone. There was a strange ripping sound, and then the kunoichi simply pulled her entire face off... only to reveal the frowning face of Uchiha Itachi.

Sasuke's whole body began to quake with both fury and fear as he stared up into his brother's dark eyes.

"Foolish little brother," Itachi said softly, leaning closer until their noses were almost touching. "You're still too weak... but you won't be running away this time." His head tilted to the side and dipped, moving towards Sasuke's neck as his mouth opened wide. "Now, Sasuke-kun, you are mine..."

No matter how much Sasuke willed his body to move, to do anything, it refused to respond. He was trapped, and they both knew it.

Which is why neither of them expected the interruption that soon followed, in the form of a glowing, blue katana flying just inches from Sasuke's head, and burying itself to the hilt in Itachi's open mouth. Itachi make a strange, wet noise and fell backwards, blood pooling thickly in his throat.

"Uchiha Sasuke is MINE," Hinata said fiercely as she stomped into view.

Sasuke had never been happier to see her. And that was saying something, since she was covered from head to toe in a curious yellow-brown liquid that smelled like hot garbage. His first impulse was to ask what had happened to her, but the furious expression on her face as she moved past stopped him. He merely watched as she yanked her sword out of Itachi's face and wiped it clean on his sleeve. The ability to move seemed to return to Sasuke in that moment, but all he could do was say her name, at first.

"Hinata-chan..."

She turned to face him, her anger fading somewhat. "Sasuke-kun," she said, sounding neither happy nor upset.

"You saved me," he whispered hoarsely.

"Of course I did," Hinata replied, the hard look returning to her face. "You're my property, and clearly I'm going to have to make you wear a sign that says so, if things like this keep happening."

Sasuke said nothing. He could tell from the look in her eyes that she very much wanted to kiss him in that moment, but was resisting the urge because of the goop she was covered in. He thought it would be extremely romantic if he kissed her in spite of that... after he wiped her mouth off, that is. Fortunately, Sasuke had very few romantic bones in his body, and all of them were dead tired, so he satisfied himself with just smiling at her.

For a moment, everything was perfect... well, as perfect as it got for two ninja that had just barely escaped with their lives, anyway.

And then the thing still wearing Itachi's face got up AGAIN, and started laughing in his voice, which was very, very weird.

Itachi NEVER laughed, and Sasuke now understood just why he didn't. The sound was likely to make Itachi piss his OWN pants in fear.

"This. Is. PERFECT!" Itachi crowed, right before he yanked off his face. That neither Hinata nor Sasuke knew the identity of the new face probably should've been a small source of relief, but it wasn't. The face was deathly pale, sinister, and above all else, snakelike. "Since you insist on being together," it cackled, glaring at them, "I'll just have to mark you both."

"I think you'll have to take that up with our squad leader," Hinata replied calmly.

Whatever their foe's response was, no one ever quite found out. Because in the next instant, Gaara suddenly plummeted out of the trees, landing hard enough to leave a sizeable crater in the ground. This, by itself, meant very little. But when combined with the fact that Gaara's right arm was currently a very sharp, very long, very heavy curved, black sword, and that it had just chopped off their enemy's left arm, it meant a great deal.

A bloodcurdling scream of pain and outrage tore from their foe's mouth as he leaped away from them, clutching the bloodied stump with his right hand. His screamed renewed when he suddenly tore his hand away, revealing that his fingers had been burned, and the stump was smoking and bubbling, giving off an incredibly foul scent.

"You have been touched by Orekugi, the Sword of Vengeance, Third Form of the Tanuki Nail. Such wounds cannot heal. Your arm is merely the price you paid for attacking my squad." Gaara's eyes narrowed. "I would, however, be happy to make it a matching set."

"This is not over, desert rat!" the serpentine man hissed as he leapt into trees and soon vanished.

"No, it is not, Orochimaru," Gaara agreed quietly. "Orekugi always pays her debts."

"And he's probably the weakest one, if Akatsuki let him go," Hinata muttered, shaking her head. "We are in so much trouble, guys..."

"Are we? I thought you handled that summoned snake very well."

"Before or after it ate me, taicho?" Hinata growled.

Gaara considered that for a moment. "After. I was more impressed when you cut it open from the inside. But did you mean to get swallowed?"

"OF COURSE NOT! I... STOP LAUGHING, SASUKE!"

But Sasuke couldn't stop, even if he'd wanted to. He was far too relieved, and far too happy to be alive. Although he sobered up quickly, when Hinata gave him a very wet, stinky hug as punishment.

* * *

Ino was not herself, and with good reason. As her store of genjutsu had grown during her recent training, so had everything else. Her chakra control was better than it had ever been. In the stamina department, she could outlast her teammates: Shikamaru's clan jutsu put a major drain on him, and Chouji's ability to hit hard and fast likewise lessened as a battle wore on. But because Ino's attack style didn't depend heavily on a great deal of movement (all she really had to do was hide and fire off genjutsu from a distance), she usually ended up being the second wave when Shikamaru and Chouji began to tire.

However, just because Ino COULD hide and fight from distance, that didn't mean that she did do it. In fact, more and more often the idea of sitting still was unacceptable to her, and she usually just charged in with the boys. This should have caused a problem, but it didn't: assuming none of them were using chakra to increase speed, Ino was the fastest, followed closely by Shikamaru. And because it was much more difficult to aim genjutsu while moving, Ino had practiced it until it became second nature.

If her teammates had any problems with her new attitude, they kept their comments to themselves. Chouji was just happy to have her back on the team, and Shikamaru just let Ino set the pace for the rest of them (she always had, but now they followed because they believed in her ability to lead, and not because she'd yell until she got her way).

What Ino had not told them was that this new, improved her was less a change in attitude, and more a willingness to finally listen to the voice inside her head. They still disagreed on some major points (Ino thought her voice liked blood far too much to be considered sane), but the advanced training, improved diet, and new jutsu had all come from her voice, and the results were undeniable. Ino was in the best shape of her life, and it had only taken the worst point of her life to get there.

Strangely, Ino had noticed that her voice never really went into detail about the rape. Oh, she would go on for hours about how she would've killed the men, made them suffer and ever regret touching her, but nothing else. Ino was now very aware that the only reason she hadn't broken down completely was that her voice had experienced the worst of the rape. But any time she tried to ask about it, or even apologize for it, cool silence was all she got in reply. It worried her, and made her wonder if the worst was yet to come, but Ino firmly believed she had done everything she could. She was not surprised that there were still trust issues between them, and promised herself that after the chuunin exams, she would devote herself to making peace with her voice.

Apparently this oath was a step in the right direction, because afterwards, her voice had been less of an infrequent presence at the back of her mind, and more of an angel (or devil) on her shoulder, commonly offering advice throughout the day, sometimes about things that had nothing to do with being a kunoichi. Ino had even fallen into the habit of referring to her voice as "Konkon." It was not a nickname that the voice had cared for, at first, but she seemed to have grown into it over the past few days. Ino had thought of it because, in her opinion, foxes were clever, playful, beautiful creatures, but she also knew (or had at least heard) that they could be deadly. The description reminded her first of her father, and then of herself. Even the incredibly biased pictures of the Kyuubi in the Academy textbooks held a kind of savage beauty; Ino had once daydreamed about a bouquet of flowers that perfectly captured the orange-red tint of the demon fox's chakra.

At any rate, Ino was doing well for herself, all things considered. The chuunin exams were nowhere near as intimidating as Zabuza had been, and Ino had very nearly gotten her team disqualified by snickering at Ibiki's attempts to psyche them out. True, what seemed like a lifetime ago, she would've fallen for his tricks. But that was then, and this was now.

The Forest of Death was similarly proving to be a big letdown. Ino's team had obtained the needed proof to pass in just under an hour, and it had only taken that long because the team they targeted had put up a decent fight. Chouji had distracted two of them while Shikamaru approached from behind and grabbed their shadows. That left Ino with the team leader, who had of course underestimated her because she was a girl. If he survived the kunai she'd jabbed into his throat, he wouldn't make that mistake again.

Now they were resting for the day, mostly because the boys were showing signs of fatigue. Ino had volunteered to take the first watch, mostly because she wasn't all that tired. She glanced down at her sleeping teammates, and couldn't help the faint smile that briefly appeared on her lips. For better or for worse, they were her boys, and would stand behind her no matter what.

"I still say they're sorry sacks of meat, especially the tubby one," was Konkon's rather biased comment.

Ino frowned inwardly. "They aren't. They're sweet, or they can be."

"And what good would that do in a fight?" Konkon demanded. "You need to start cracking the whip on them. They should already be in the air when you tell them to jump!"

"Aren't you supposed to be helping me keep watch?"

"I am. I watched that walking slab of sexy creep up on you, didn't I?"

Before Ino could attempt to make sense of that, she immediately sensed a new presence nearby, and then a body dropped out of the tree she was sitting under, landing fluidly in front of her.

It was Naruto... sort of.

The Naruto she'd seen earlier had been downright frightening, even by Konkon's high standards. But this one, framed by the inky darkness of the forest, seemed almost... well, gorgeous.

Especially the eyes, which were a curious shade of red. Those were very striking, but not in a scary way, even though they clearly conveyed just how dangerous Naruto was in that moment. He could've easily ripped out her throat with his claws before she'd known what was happening. The mere fact that he didn't, that he allowed her to continue living for some unknown reason, was an instant turn-on... for Konkon, anyway. Ino was just very wary, but not frightened.

Neither of them said anything right away. Naruto was eyeing her just as curiously as she was eyeing him. He was squatting just a few inches from her, his forearms resting lightly on his knees. She was impressed that his eyes flicked only briefly over her body, and on some level, she knew he was just checking for injuries. How she knew that, only Konkon could say, but of course she wasn't, which was typical.

Finally, Naruto spoke, and said the last thing Ino was expecting.

"Sakura's team already passed."

Ino blinked. "And?"

Naruto shrugged lazily, rocking back and forth on his heels slightly. "Just thought I'd tell you."

"Shouldn't you be attacking me?" Ino asked without thinking.

A devilish grin slowly spread across his face. "No need. We got our proof, too."

Ino didn't bother asking how he'd known that her team had their proof already. All that really mattered was that neither had any real motivation to attack the other. But that still begged the question of what Naruto was doing there.

"You smell good."

She nearly jumped when she saw that Naruto had leaned closer, clearly violating what she thought of as her personal space. Even stranger, she did nothing to stop him. "Oh?"

"Like sweat. And blood." His eyes locked on hers. "And heat."

From the way Konkon was chucking in her head, Ino didn't have to ask what sort of heat he meant. "Do you always go around sniffing girls?"

"Just you."

Ino nearly turned away in an attempt to hide her blush, but something occurred to her: Naruto could probably tell that she was blushing, and... and why wasn't she more bothered by his close proximity? He was a boy, and more than that, he was a boy she'd seen leaving deep claw marks in trees. So why was she so comfortable around him?

"The blood isn't yours," Naruto commented suddenly.

"No," Ino answered quietly.

He leaned back again, clearly sensing her change in mood. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No," Ino repeated. But the next thing she knew, she was describing the weird, creepy Leaf genin she'd stabbed, and how his glowing blue hands could steal chakra.

Naruto said nothing the entire time. He just listened.

When she was done, he moved closer, draping his arm around her shoulders.

It was incredibly forward, but again, Ino made no move to stop him. The weight of his arm was reassuring, and he smelled better than any cologne Ino had ever encountered. Naturally, Konkon kept sending her images of Ino shoving Naruto to the ground, ripping his clothes off, and licking every inch of him. It was, by far, the most arousing image she'd ever sent, and at the same time, the first implication Konkon had ever made to either of them being ready for sex, ever.

"What are you doing?" Ino finally asked. She was speaking more to Konkon than Naruto, but he answered.

"Nothing." And it was true, he was just sitting there, with his arm around her. He wasn't making a move, or trying to imply anything. He was just offering simple comfort, possibly suspecting or even knowing that Ino was bothered by the idea that she might have actually killed a stranger.

"Well, what makes you think I'm okay with this?" Ino questioned.

He blinked. "You didn't stop me."

This time there was no way Ino could hide her blush.

"So I was thinking about a truce," Naruto continued after a moment of silence. "Between our teams. We each have our proof already, so why don't we watch each other's backs until we hit the tower? It's not like either of us really needs it, but..."

"But what?"

"Other genin might not be our only opponents in here. I mean, do you really think the examiners can effectively patrol the whole forest? Anybody could get in."

"And you're just doing this out of the kindness of your heart?" Ino asked, poking him in the chest.

"You're Sakura's best friend," he said simply. "I wouldn't feel right attacking you, or passing you by without doing something to help."

"So Sakura's the only reason?" Ino murmured, feeling strangely disappointed. Even Konkon was wilting.

Naruto leaned a little closer. "I was kinda hoping you'd tell me how you make your genjutsu become real," he whispered in her ear.

"That," Ino said firmly, smirking, "is a trade secret. I couldn't possibly share it for anything less than a very expensive dinner."

"Then unless you consider giant snake a delicacy, it looks like I'll have to make sure you get out of here alive, just so we can have our date."

Ino ignored the image of Konkon dancing and waving fans in celebration. "We have a deal, then. But my boys are in no condition to travel right now. We'll have to wait until morning."

Naruto nodded and signaled to some nearby bushes. Instantly, Temari emerged, dropping down beside Ino and taking out a small cloth to polish her fan. "Kankurou says he'll watch the perimeter. We better get some sleep while we can." She glared at Naruto. "Don't introduce me or anything," Temari added, laying a hand on her fan ominously.

Naruto quickly corrected his mistake. "Uh, Ino, that's my big sister Temari, and out there somewhere is my big brother Kankurou. Temari, this is Ino, she's a friend of Sakura's."

Temari stared at Ino for a long moment. Finally, she nodded approvingly. "I have to say she suits you better than your last girlfriend."

Naruto looked torn between outrage, confusion, and realization. "But Ino isn't... well, I... that is..." He finally looked at Ino for help.

Ino arched an eyebrow. "I know you don't expect ME to tell you to go back to your old girlfriend. I just manipulated you into dating me. But you're right, I'm not your girlfriend at the moment."

To this, Naruto said nothing. He was clearly thinking about his old girlfriend. Ino was willing to let it slide for now, but Konkon was already encouraging her to steal Temari's fan and beat Naruto with it.

* * *

_Konoha - Forest of Death - Day 2 - July_

Neji was not the most patient person in the world. During battle, he often let his opponents come to him, or allowed them to make the first move, but that was only because he had supreme confidence in his own abilities, so it never really mattered who did what when. He would beat them in the end, every single time.

Thankfully, his teammates were not the types to be late, ever. Lee sometimes showed up so early for their training sessions that Neji wondered if he ever really left Guy's side. As for Tenten, he knew for a fact that she often cornered Guy and demanded private lessons, just so Neji could not accuse her of slacking off and being a typical, spoiled kunoichi.

If anything, Neji was usually the last to arrive for training, and even then he was always a few minutes early. And if there was one thing Guy loved, it was being able to torture his students with his outrageous training style for more than just the scheduled time.

So when Neji had proposed the idea of splitting up, searching the forest individually, and then reuniting with his teammates the following day, he had said nothing about being on time: it was just assumed.

That neither Tenten nor Lee showed up was less worrying, and more annoying. Certainly, there were some teams in the forest that even he could not defeat on his own, but Neji also trusted that Tenten and Lee would have sense enough to avoid teams they could not handle.

He waited for half an hour before heading off to look for them. Between his Byakugan, and knowing the general directions his teammates had been traveling, Neji found them in just fifteen minutes, partially because they were together.

That is, they were together, with the Cloud team, one of whom appeared to be serving them tea, while the other amused them with funny stories.

Neji watched this from a distance, a mild sense of disbelief passing over him, before he stormed into the campsite. Tenten and Lee had the decency to look guilty and drop their tea, but Yugito had the nerve to look at him like HE had done something wrong.

"You're late," he growled, deciding not to even look at anyone but his teammates.

"Oh... sorry about that, Neji-kun," Tenten murmured, a hesitant smile forming on her lips. "But we did figure that you'd be able to find us pretty easily, and you did, so..."

"Forgive us, my eternal rival!" Lee shouted, falling to his knees. "But we could not simply refuse Yugito-san's offer of refreshment and entertainment! It would be rude, unyouthful, unacceptable for any-"

Tenten absently bonked Lee on the head before he could really get going. "We're really, really sorry, Neji-kun. But we saved you some tea!"

And sure enough, in the next moment, a cup of fragrant tea was offered to Neji, courtesy of the masked member of the Cloud team. The smell was strangely soothing, and Neji only intended to taste enough to be polite. But soon his cup was empty, and he could no longer recall just what he'd been so upset about. He assumed it had something to do with Lee, since there was a large bump rising on his teammate's head.

"Well! Shall we all get going?" Yugito asked brightly. "The tower is just a few minutes north of here."

Tenten looked surprised. "You've already been there?"

"Kyojuu has," Yugito replied, nodding to the Inuzuka-lookalike on her right. "He's very fast."

Neji could believe it; he could find no area on the boy that wasn't hardened muscle.

"Kyojuu-san, you must spar with me as well, when time permits!" Lee shouted excitedly.

Kyojuu blinked slowly. "Yeah, okay," he grunted, not looking particularly excited or annoyed about the offer as he turned to Neji. "You want to lead the way?" he asked, looking pointedly into Neji's eyes.

"Why exactly would we be traveling together?" Neji asked calmly.

"There is no need to be suspicious of us, Hyuuga-san," said the still-unnamed masked Cloud-nin. "We will not be passing this portion of the exam. It has come to our attention that there is a far more serious matter that demands our attention. We have reason to believe that there are multiple S-ranked criminals in the forest. Traveling in larger groups would be wise."

"I don't suppose you have any proof of this?"

"Gaara's squad has already encountered the Snake Sannin. Do you need more proof than that?"

Neji blinked. Even Hiashi would not dare to attack Orochimaru with anything less than an ANBU squad behind him. Suddenly, becoming a chuunin was the least of his concerns. "North it is, then."

* * *

_Konoha – Tower of the Forest of Death - Day 3 - July_

All three members of the Sound team feared for their lives by the time they entered the tower in the center of the Forest of Death. Not only had they not managed to kill Sasuke, they hadn't even SEEN him since entering the forest. None of them were gullible enough to believe that someone else had managed to off the Uchiha, either.

Kin insisted that it wasn't their fault. Upon failing to find Sasuke on the first day, they'd headed straight for the tower, and waited until the last possible second before entering themselves.

But there was, in fact, a very good reason why they hadn't found Sasuke: his team was one of the few to reach the tower on the very first day. No one knew how they'd managed it, especially considering how beat up Sasuke and Hinata looked, but they assumed it was mostly due to Gaara, who was the only participant that looked as if he HADN'T just run miles through a forest.

Kin's mood took another hit when she spotted Naruto talking to a blond girl. But, since she wasn't supposed to know him, she merely turned around and decked Zaku, who instantly retaliated.

Dosu sighed and let them vent for a while before stomping on both their heads and dragging them off.

* * *

_Konoha - Location Unknown - July_

Sasori was no medic-nin, but he'd lopped off enough limbs to know a lost cause when he saw one.

Orochimaru's arm, or lack thereof, was a real mess. Gaara had clearly wanted to cause him nothing but suffering, and Sasori, despite being Orochimaru's former partner, was tempted to take notes. This was by far one of the most ingenious wounds he'd ever seen, and it was awfully inspiring. Orochimaru had an incredibly high pain tolerance, and the fact that he could not go more than a minute without hissing or breaking something was astounding.

Deidara, on the other hand, had not been impressed. It was no secret that he didn't care for Orochimaru one way or the other. He'd taken one look at the injury, snorted, and left the room. At least he'd had the decency not to start a fight. Even in this condition, Orochimaru was deadly, although this was the weakest that Sasori had ever seen him.

"I doubt even Kakuzu could repair this wound," Sasori said at last. "This sword is like no other I've ever encountered."

Orochimaru said nothing. He was still enraged that he'd lost an arm to what should've been the weakest demon container. Even worse, he could not regrow the arm himself. There was really only one solution, but even that was not an option, not while Akatsuki was watching. Yet if he did nothing, they, or Gaara, would kill him for sure.

Sasori seemed to be thinking along the same lines, and what he said next confirmed that. "I suspect you will need nothing less than the chakra of the Hachibi to overcome this wound."

Slowly, Orochimaru's gaze slid over to him.

"The innocent act does not suit you, old friend. We have known for some time that you have hidden the Hachibi away for your own use. I don't expect you to reveal it's location, but I know you will have to go there before your invasion can begin. You cannot face a Hokage in this condition and expect to survive."

Orochimaru was completely silent, the twitching of his eyes the only sign that he was still in pain. He knew he could only trust Sasori so much, but to continue sitting there was to invite death, one way or the other. Frowning, he stood up and slowly walked out of the room, keeping a sharp eye out for anything or anyone that might be trying to follow.

Minutes later, Deidara returned. "We should kill him now, yeah?"

"He can still be of use to us, Deidara. For example, would you have ever suspected that Gaara could be so dangerous? We must learn from Orochimaru's mistakes once again. Even Kankurou did not know about Gaara's swords. He must save them for certain battles."

"How's he going to cut either of us when he's poisoned and blown up?"

"If there is a way, I trust he will find it."

* * *

_Konoha - Tower of the Forest of Death - Day 4 - July_

Naruto was in a very weird place, mentally, at least. As he'd hoped, his transformation had kept most people at a good distance. But it had almost no impact on the few that had been friendly with him before. Ino seemed to adjust the fastest, and Sakura right after her. Probably they were just to used to Kiba. Shikamaru was a little concerned, but once he figured out that the transformation was a choice, he calmed down considerably.

While he should've been using the extra day in the tower to rest, Naruto spent most of it talking to Ino. His only real excuse was that he felt comfortable around Ino. There was no pressure to impress her, like there had once been with Sakura and even Kin. Nor did he have to pretend to be someone completely different. Ino even listened more than she talked, which was weird, from what he knew about girls. In the end, he figured out this was only because she found him so interesting.

More than once he caught Kin shooting him dirty looks, which were both in character for her role, and troubling. But Naruto wasn't bothered by the fact that he was technically making time with another girl right in front of Kin. What really bothered him was that Kyuubi, who had more or less ignored Kin unless she was distracting Naruto at the moment, had taken a real interest in Ino as well.

Naruto had always assumed that Kyuubi would be a big problem with any girl he was involved with. Kin had no problem, but Kyuubi had no interest in her, which meant he might not care one way or the other if she was in danger. Ino, though, Kyuubi found fascinating (he would never admit that, though), and he would care if something happened to her. That alone made Ino the better choice, much as Naruto hated to admit it. Kyuubi wasn't beyond the occasional favor, but Naruto didn't want to test the fox's patience by constantly using Kyuubi's chakra to save someone the fox himself couldn't care less about.

The truly strange part was that Naruto actually loved Kin... but that was it. He enjoyed kissing and touching her, simply because he'd never gotten the chance to do it with anyone else. Most of his passion for her originated from the fact that she was attractive, and little else. They didn't have much in common, and they generally fought more than anything else. A better way of saying it was that Naruto loved Kin, but he didn't really LIKE her much. He sometimes got the impression that they would've done better to only make out occasionally, like once or twice a month, while agreeing to see other people.

But Naruto hadn't really been aware of any of this, until he'd started talking to Ino. Now, he wondered how he could've missed it. Kin was hot, sure, but Ino was hot AND interesting, and she found HIM hot and interesting. Still, Naruto hadn't gotten around to telling Ino that he technically still had a girlfriend, and he really wanted to clear the air before their dinner date came around. Ino hadn't mentioned it since, which he hoped meant she wasn't TOO excited about it.

By the time the remaining exam participants were summoned down to the tower's main area, Naruto had learned a great deal about Ino's life. However, she seemed reluctant to talk about the missions she'd been on, and Naruto wasn't going to pry. Kyuubi had told him that in some villages, kunoichi were expected to do just about anything, and everything, to complete their missions. It had never bothered Naruto, since he'd never met any of them (actually, he had, but Kin was one of the more fortunate cases, so far). But this knowledge did not change his view of Ino; Naruto saw it more as a sign of her maturity and toughness.

Naruto's thoughts slammed to a halt when he spotted the Sandaime Hokage across the room, standing between several jounin and special jounin. The old man looked the same as he remembered. The only difference was that when the old man's gaze moved over him, there was no visible recognition in his eyes. That made Naruto smirk: he hadn't known the Sandaime had such a good poker face. He seriously doubted that there was anyone who could forget Kyuubi's demon vessel.

Naruto also saw Kakashi, who seemed a little droopy, as if he were worried about something.

Curiously, he didn't see Anko. She didn't seem like the type to let any sort of injury keep her from watching a good fight. For a brief moment, Naruto wondered if she'd been punished for badmouthing (and piefacing) civilians on his behalf. The Sandaime that he'd remembered would've gotten at least a small chuckle out of that. Maybe the old man really had changed.

Naruto more or less drifted in and out of the Sandaime's welcoming speech. His eyes were taking in the remaining teams. There was Gaara's squad, Ino's team, Sakura's team, a team of slightly older Leaf genin, Kin's team, and Naruto's own team. That was eighteen survivors in all, not including the Cloud team, which hadn't passed, but Naruto had seen Yugito and Haku helping the medic-nin make their rounds.

Temari elbowed Naruto when she saw he wasn't paying attention. He shot her a dirty look in return, but as it turned out, she made him tune in just in time to catch some very important information.

"Because there are such a talented group of chuunin hopefuls this year," the Sandaime said with a smile, "it seems we will need to hold a preliminary round. Unfortunately, our scheduled exam proctor was held up, so I have asked a former student of mine to step in for him. Ah, and here she is now."

Naruto and the other genin turned their heads to see a tall, beautiful blond woman walk into the room. As she was not instantly recognizable to most of them, the reaction was mixed. Most of them simply turned back to the Hokage. Others eyed the woman curiously. But a few, mainly the older genin team from the Leaf, were staring at her in shock. Naruto soon found that several of the adults in the room were doing the same, but he had no idea why. Even Kabuto had gone white as a sheet, which was unheard of. Whoever this woman was, she was probably important, especially if she'd been trained by the Sandaime.

The woman stepped in front of the genin, glancing at them all dismissively. "Greetings, brats. I am Tsunade, and I'll be your next exam proctor. You'll be beating the crap out of each other unless I say otherwise. Winners go on to the next round, losers don't. In the case of a double knockout, you both lose. I don't care to deal with any dead bodies, so if I step in to save you, you've lost. If you force me to stop you, I might disqualify you, anyway, so don't think just because you're winning means you'll advance. Part of being a ninja is knowing how to use your strength wisely, and knowing when not to use it. A decent chuunin would know the difference, so I expect the same from anyone trying to become one. Now, are there any questions?"

Zaku's hand quickly shot up. "Are you Tsunade of the Sannin?" he asked, smirking.

She glared at him as the few people that hadn't known exactly who she was began murmuring excitedly. "If I was, and I also determined whether or not you win or lose here, do you REALLY think it's a good idea to piss me off?"

Zaku's smirk faded at once.

"Anyway, you should focus more on current events, instead of history. Being one of the Sannin isn't such an honor anymore, thanks to two humungous idiots who shall remain nameless." Tsunade pointedly ignored the killing intent from the Sound team as she pointed to the display screen on the wall behind her. "I trust you all can read, since I won't bother calling your names. You don't show up when it's your turn, you get skipped." She paused, staring at Zaku before adding, "And if you CAN'T read, you lose automatically." She kept staring at Zaku, as if waiting for him to speak, and when he finally realized why, Dosu and Kin had to hold him in place to keep him from attacking Tsunade.

The Sandaime groaned quietly and pulled his hat down over his face, trying to pretend he had nothing to do with any of this.

Over where the medic-nin were stationed, Shizune moaned in embarrassment. "You promised me you'd behave, Tsunade-sama!" she hissed.

At her side, Yugito was snickering quietly, and Haku was glad he had on a mask to hide his smile.

Among the jounin, Kabuto chuckled softly. "Same old kaa-san..."

Among the genin, Lee clutched his first dramatically and shed a small waterfall of tears... as quietly as he could, anyway. "You have such youthfulness, Tsunade-sama!"

"If you mean she's immature, then I agree," Neji said, shaking his head.

"Um, Neji-kun?" Tenten asked. "You might want to start paying attention before everyone thinks you can't read."

Neji followed her gaze to the display screen, where his name was posted, followed by his opponent's. He almost smiled. "This won't take long."

**End of Chapter 27.**

* * *

Next Chapter: Neji vs. ??? And the other matches, too.

Endnotes:

Hachibi: Eight Tails (Yamata no Orochi)

As you probably know, the eight-tailed beast is supposedly some kind of snake monster. Strangely, it is not often connected to Orochimaru, even in fanfics. This, despite the fact that he's an ex-member of Akatsuki, and his "true" form is apparently a giant snake. Maybe everyone just assumes it's an obvious connection and feel no need to draw attention to it? I don't know. ANYWAY. As you might have figured from Kimimaro's thoughts here, Orochimaru is NOT a demon vessel here. But, like Kisame, it would be inaccurate to say he has NO connection to a tailed beast.

If you remember, before the second exams started in canon, Anko passed out some forms that basically stated she and Konoha were not responsible if anyone should happen to die. Usako doesn't do this for two reasons: 1) the respective village leaders have already agreed that any deaths occurring during the chuunin exams are not to be blamed on the host village (but at the same time, taking revenge for such deaths is technically allowed, so long as it occurs during the exams), and 2) Konoha cannot realistically state that no outside harm will come to the participants, what with so many enemies lurking about.

The changes in the second exam were designed to make it more difficult, purposely eliminating more teams. For example, if no Sand teams reached the next round, technically only their nobles and bodyguards should be sticking around to see the next stage. This means less foreign ninja in the village overall, and somewhat decreases the chances of an incident. I say somewhat because we all know that it's going to hit the fan, anyway.

I realize Sasuke's fighting style is totally different here: that's done on purpose. You probably noticed that he relies more on earth-based techniques, with the occasional fire type thrown in. But recall that all Uchiha know fire attacks, so really, training to beat one by learning the same things they know is kinda silly. Actually, it's insane. Learning the same moves that Itachi has long since perfected, and then expecting them to be equal in power would be like putting Konohamaru in a drinking contest with Tsunade.

The purpose of the Inuzuka dogs in the second exam is twofold: first, to ensure there's no cheating, and second, to keep Orochimaru from entering the tower. The dogs should be able to pick up on Orochimaru's chakra if he got anywhere near the tower.

The way it's being used here, "konkon" is less a word (or name) and more of a sound effect. Though, you probably wouldn't see it outside of a manga, as that's the only place I've seen it. Basically, it's used to represent the cry of a fox (the way a dog's bark supposedly sounds like "arf" or "woof"). It's also a babyish word for fox. Although, I guess you could prefer to see it as Ino just referring to the fact that she apparently has two souls inside of her. But the connection to foxes is obviously just as important.

Team Cloud's jutsu:

**Kuroi Kiri (Black Mist): **

A combined genjutsu and ninjutsu technique. The users create a thick mist, place a genjutsu over the mist to taint it black and further reduce visibility, and finally support both jutsus with a large amount of chakra, so that any attempt to break one or the other is fruitless.

Sasuke's jutsu:

**Iwa Bunshin Bakuhatsu (Rock Clone Explosion):**

A clone made of dirt and rock lures an enemy close, then explodes in a small shower of debris, creating a momentary distraction. With more chakra, however, the explosion could be more harmful alone.

Kimimaro's jutsu:

**Daimyo no Kaze Kinjutsu: Kaze no Juin (Wind Lord Forbidden Technique: Cursed Seal of Wind):**

A modified version of an ancient Suna seal. This technique subdues the bearer of one (or two, in this case) cursed seal while their body and abilities are absorbed into another bearer of a cursed seal. The remaining bearer then gains an additional cursed seal. In other words, Kimimaro now has the Kaze no Juin on his chest (like a demon vessel would), and his original Chi (Earth) no Juin, uh... wherever it was originally.

**Hone Bunshin (Bone Clone):** (not REALLY sure on the translation of bone)

An advanced, long-lasting clone that matures in a matter of seconds upon leaving Kimimaro's body. Though slightly smaller and less powerful than the original, their bodies are composed entirely of super-dense bone, and nothing short of an attack that destroys most of their bodies can kill them.

Orochimaru's jutsu:

**Magen: Kimen (Demonic Illusion: Mask of a Devil):**

A genjutsu alternative to Orochimaru's Shushagan no Jutsu (Vanishing Facial Copy Technique). Orochimaru physically tears off his face, revealing a genjutsu mask of another person, most likely one whose face he was unable to steal himself. Unlike with Shushagan no Jutsu, to effectively copy the person's voice, Orochimaru must have heard them speak.

Gaara's sword:

**The Tanuki Nail, Form 2: Orekugi (Hooked/Broken Nail) - Sword of Vengeance**

Orekugi is a massive black blade that appears smooth, but is actually very rough. A single touch causes a demonic burn that never heals properly. Each side of the blade is covered in a distinct, painful poison. As such, a limb lopped off by Orekugi cannot be re-attached, because having both poisons present in the bloodstream is fatal.


	28. Preliminary Perils

Notes: I realize there are no unknown characters in the preliminaries like you would normally expect. But remember that 2nd stage was much more difficult this time, and only the strongest (or those that matter to the story) were able to pass. In case you're keeping count, there's one team from the Sand, one team from the Sound, and four teams from the Leaf. And even with "random" matches, some people will face the same opponents they did in canon, just with different results.

Also, let me remind you that I'm not touching the Uchiha Madara mess. But I will establish Tobi's identity soon... like in this chapter. It wouldn't have worked in canon, but this isn't canon, so that's fine.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 28: Preliminary Perils**

* * *

_Konoha - Tower of the Forest of Death - Day 4_

**"Uchiha Hinata vs. Hyuuga Neji."**

Hinata stared at her name on the display screen. Not only was she in the very first match of the preliminaries, but Neji was her opponent. Had this come at any other time, she might have been more reluctant, even afraid. But after attacking Orochimaru to save Sasuke, Neji was the least of her worries. In fact, he wasn't one at all. He might hurt her, but that was far better compared to what would happen in a battle with Akatsuki, Itachi, or Orochimaru.

It was a good thing that Hinata didn't need emotional support for her match, because she certainly didn't get it from her "teammates."

"You can't lose this match," Sasuke said. "Uchiha don't lose to anyone, and certainly not to Hyuuga."

Hinata nodded before turning to Gaara. "Taichou, tell me the truth. Can I defeat Neji?"

Gaara stared at her for a moment. "With your sword, yes. Without it, there is only one way. And I forbid you to lose."

Hinata grimaced slightly, but nodded again. Not relying on her sword was her own choice. It just didn't seem right to use it against Neji, since it was named for his father. And since she could see no way that this match would bring her family closer together, she wasn't even positive that Hizashi would wish to fight. She certainly didn't want to risk breaking their oath before she reached her full potential with the sword.

Her eyes met Neji's as Tsunade instructed everyone to move to the upper level. He looked confident, and she could understand why. Before Gaara, she had been no match for him, and he hadn't fought her since. He had no real reason to believe that she was a threat. Like most people, he probably assumed that Gaara and Sasuke were always protecting her, that she could barely fight for herself.

Unfortunately, Hinata knew that nothing she did in this match was likely to change his opinion of her.

"You two ready?" Tsunade asked, glancing at both of them in turn.

"You should forfeit, Hinata," Neji said quietly. "You seem more sure of yourself now, and that's good... but confidence won't bridge the gap between our skills."

Hinata did her best to ignore him. The last thing she needed was to get pulled into Neji's mind games. "I believe we are both ready, Tsunade-sama."

Neji glared at his cousin, not taking kindly to being ignored. He quickly activated his Byakugan and assumed a Gentle Fist stance, though he was very surprised when Hinata did not do the same. Instead, she merely clasped her hands together, as if praying. "That won't help," he said sharply. "This is your last warning, Hinata. Forfeit."

Hinata shook her head. "I believe Tsunade-sama would agree that a chuunin does not have the option of ignoring their mission. I have been given my order: to win at any cost. I am sorry, Neji, but I must defeat you the only way I know how."

Growling under his breath, Neji started to charge. He froze, however, when Hinata's hands formed a familiar seal. "You... you wouldn't dare," he whispered with wide eyes.

"Forfeit, Neji," Hinata whispered, just loud enough so only he and Tsunade could hear. "Please don't force me to humiliate and torture you in front of everyone. I know... that the Hyuuga Clan is far from perfect, but some of their mistakes are better off hidden from the light of day."

"You would save me from humiliation... by forcing me to submit without fighting?" Neji spat angrily. "They are the same!"

"There is some honor in walking away from a fight you cannot win... but if you take another step, you will lose this match without dignity. Don't make me take that from you, Neji." Her face softened as her eyes pleaded with him. "Please?"

Slowly, Neji relaxed and moved out of the Gentle Fist stance, merely standing there and staring at her in silence.

For a moment, Hinata thought she had reached him.

Then a force unlike anything she'd ever felt slammed into her chest, knocking her to the ground. The air was driven out of her as she hit the floor hard, and before she could get her bearings, Neji was standing over her, glaring down at her. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Neji extended two fingers and reached for her arm. Hinata knew he was either going to seal off her chakra channels, or break her fingers to keep her from forming hand seals. The invisible force still pressing down on her seemed to increase the closer Neji got, and while Hinata could not move much of her body, she could move her hands enough to form the needed seal. Again, Neji froze in shock, but it wore off quickly as he surged towards her.

"Forgive me, Neji, but you brought this on yourself," Hinata whispered, closing her eyes.

A bone chilling scream of agony ripped from Neji's throat as he was thrown bodily away from Hinata. She hadn't even touched him, and only those who were truly familiar with the Hyuuga, such as Tsunade, knew exactly how the Branch House seal on Neji's forehead worked. Not only did it cause enormous pain, it actively prevented Neji from making any sort of threat towards Hyuuga blood, period. Ironically, Gaara had told Hinata that the seal's creators could find no way to alter it so that the wearers were only prevented from attacking Main House Hyuuga, because there was no distinction between them and any other clan member to the seal. Nor did it matter that Hinata was married to Sasuke; she would always have Hyuuga blood, and that was enough.

Tsunade frowned as she watched Neji writhe and struggle on the floor. The boy was too damned stubborn to quit, and the girl was too determined to do the same. At this rate, she would kill him, no matter how much she didn't want to. Sighing, Tsunade let the pathetic scene go on for ten more seconds before she finally stepped in.

"That's enough."

Hinata instantly dropped her hands, a tear slipping from her right eye as Neji went limp. She took a step forward, intending to help him off of the floor, but Tsunade shook her head and motioned for a pair of medic-nin to carry Neji away. The Slug Sannin watched as Neji was loaded onto a stretcher, and it didn't occur to her to announce the results until he was gone. "Winner: Uchiha Hinata."

There was overwhelming silence as Hinata quickly walked back to the balcony. She took the long way around to avoid having to pass by Neji's team, uncertain of how they'd react.

Gaara said nothing when she returned to his side, but he did briefly place his hand on her shoulder. It was enough, and Hinata forced herself to look up as the next match was displayed.

**"Kankurou vs. Nara Shikamaru."**

* * *

_Hidden Waterfall Village - July_

"The old lady isn't here anymore," Hatsumi sighed, pouting.

Tobi frowned behind his mask as he handed her a spare skewer of dango he was carrying. "You're sure?" he asked as they strolled through the village, occasionally waving to people they recognized from just a few hours ago.

She nodded, clutching the skewer in both of her little hands. "I asked all the grown-ups, and all the kids. There was never anybody named Tsunade here, but just recently their chief medic-nin left. It could be her."

"What makes you say that?"

Hatsumi stretched her hands as far from her chest as she could. "All the boys say she had boobies out to here, and you couldn't breathe when she hugged you."

A large sweat drop rolled down the back of Tobi's head; he remembered those hugs far too well. "That's Tsunade-sama, alright..." Not for the first time, he wondered why most of Tsunade's disguises seemed to accentuate that particular characteristic. She really shouldn't even bother if she was going to be that easy to describe. After all, even a male with a horrible memory would recall a beautiful, top-heavy blond woman.

"It's too bad Valentine couldn't come in with us. I hope he's not too lonely with just Ghoulie for company," Hatsumi commented, nibbling at her dango.

When they had last seen Kakuzu, he'd been engaging Hidan in a spirited spar to keep them both from getting bored. Tobi hadn't heard any explosions since then, so either they were done, or they'd wisely moved their fight a little farther from the village. Knowing Kakuzu, it was probably the latter.

"I'm sure he's just fine, Hami-chan. And since we're done here already, we can look around for a while if you want."

"That's okay, Big Buddy," she replied, pointing at a small flask fastened to the inside of her cloak. "I already got my souvenir."

"What's that?"

"They call it Hero Water, I think. I just borrowed a little for Piranha Plant. He likes it when I bring him water from different places."

"Just make sure you tell Zetsu the name and where you got it before you give it to him," Tobi warned her. He'd seen some reports on the Waterfall Village back at the base, and he was pretty sure there was something bad about their famous water.

"I won't forget," Hatsumi promised. Deciding she was full for the moment, she handed her half-eaten dango back to Tobi, and watched with wide eyes as the dango, skewer and all, vanished into thin air in front of his mask, as if his entire head were a black hole. This was followed by some exaggerated chewing noises, and a slight cough, which produced the skewer, picked clean and folded over many times, forming a tiny Konoha Leaf with a slash through it.

"You have GOT to tell me how you did that," Hatsumi murmured, her voice soft with awe.

"Trade secret," Tobi said smugly, dropping the tiny leaf into her hand.

"Pleeeeeeease?" Hatsumi whined, pocketing the leaf and tugging on his hand.

"Nope."

"I'll be your best friend forever and ever!"

"Too late," Tobi yawned, tossing her onto his shoulder with the ease of much practice. "Magic isn't magic if you explain it, Hami-chan.

"I'll hold my breath until I turn blue!" she threatened.

"Then Zetsu might mistake you for a dead body and eat you."

Hatsumi huffed in frustration and gently kicked his chin. "Meanie."

Tobi caught the offending foot between two fingers and gave a light tug, doing his best fake movie bad guy laugh as she hung upside-down squealing and kicking. "MOO-HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"Evil mutant cow!" Hatsumi giggled.

"Now that's just disgusting."

They both stopped and looked up, realizing they were outside of the village already, and Kakuzu was standing before them, looking ill. Hidan was at his side, bleeding heavily from numerous areas, though it was impossible to tell who was responsible for that.

"Aw, you missed all the fun, Valentine!" Hatsumi said brightly, still upside-down. "We had dango and put red food coloring in the waterfall!"

"Did you find out if the old lady came here or not?" Kakuzu growled through gritted teeth.

"Oh, yeah. But she left already. Let's follow her!" Hatsumi squirmed loose of Tobi's grip and crawled up his arm, reclaiming her seat on his shoulder.

Kakuzu sighed. "And where was she headed?"

"Just Konoha."

"Just... JUST KONOHA?!"

"Well, she's from there," Hatsumi added, giving him an odd look. "Everybody goes home sometime."

"We can't just GO to Konoha now. Eight of us in the same place is just begging for trouble. Hell, I can barely stand the three I'm stuck with now!"

"Your heartbeats are off, Valentine," Hatsumi said suddenly, genuine worry in her tone. "Are you okay?"

Kakuzu grunted and jerked his head towards Hidan. "Bastard just nicked one of them. I'll replace it later."

"Bad Ghoulie!" Hatsumi cried, shaking her finger at Hidan.

Hidan stared at her blankly, and then a wicked grin slowly spread across his face.

"Um, I mean... GOOD Ghoulie!"

The smile vanished.

Tobi would've laughed if he thought Kakuzu wouldn't punch him in the head out of "reflex" again.

* * *

Many curious eyes watched Kankurou descend the stairs, but only those gifted with the Byakugan or above chuunin level realized that the puppeteer was actually hidden in the wrapped form strapped to the back of "Kankurou." Of those, only Naruto, Temari, and Kabuto knew that Kankurou himself could be considered a puppet now.

Except for the occasional measuring glance at his opponent, Kankurou's face remained blank. However, within his wrappings, only he could hear the voice of his master floating from his false body's lips.

"Now is not the time to reveal your true power, my apprentice. Use only Karasu in this match, and remember that it is not necessary to win, so long as the Nara does not advance."

"I understand, Sasori-sama," Kankurou murmured as he commanded the disguised Karasu to stop across from Shikamaru.

For his part, Shikamaru knew nothing about his opponent, except that he was Naruto's teammate. Kankurou had kept his abilities well hidden, especially when their two teams had worked together. Shikamaru risked a glance up at Naruto, and was surprised to find that the blond was still talking quietly to Ino. Shikamaru wasn't sure if he liked how close the two were becoming, but he also couldn't do anything about it. If this was what Ino wanted, at least Naruto was a decent guy, for the most part.

Sighing, Shikamaru let his right hand fall to his kunai holster and leaned forward slightly as Tsunade prepared to begin the match.

Kankurou stayed just as he was, staring at Shikamaru as if he weren't even there.

"Begin," Tsunade said.

Shikamaru quickly launched the kunai at his foe, then appeared to reach for shuriken in the pouch on his back. Actually, though, he was rapidly forming one-handed seals. He still had no idea what kind of fight he was in for, but evaluating Kankurou from a distance seemed best for now.

Strangely, Kankurou made no attempt to dodge, and the kunai landed firmly just below his heart.

Shikamaru blinked, stunned. He'd been positive that Kankurou would dodge or deflect the kunai somehow.

"I can tell from your expression that you don't know anything about me," Kankurou said calmly. "That's too bad, because Suna's intelligence on the Nara Clan is quite thorough."

Muttering a curse, Shikamaru drew another kunai and threw it, only for the same thing to happen again. "You're gonna regret that."

Kankurou opened his mouth to respond, but his answer was lost as the exploding tag wrapped around the kunai's handle went off. When the smoke cleared, Kankurou was lying on the ground with a smoking hole in his uniform, and at first appeared to be knocked out. Then, he slowly sat up, holding his head and glaring at Shikamaru.

Up on the balcony, Ino broke off her conversation with Naruto to watch the match more closely. "What is he?" she whispered.

"Sneaky as hell," Naruto replied with a small grin. "And just think: he's being lazy right now. Wait until he gets serious."

Ino shot him an incredulous look as Kankurou stood up, still holding his head and wincing.

Shikamaru's eyes slid over to the wrapped bundle that Kankurou had dropped. It was completely undamaged, so either Kankurou had thrown it away to keep it safe, or it was just that resistant to attack. Whatever it was, it had to be important.

While he hated being a one-trick pony, Shikamaru wasn't about to discard something that was working so far. He threw another kunai wrapped in an explosive tag, and sure enough, Kankurou instantly dove to catch it, surprisingly agile for someone with his build. What Shikamaru wasn't expecting was for Kankurou to send the kunai flying back in the same motion. "Shit," Shikamaru muttered as the tag exploded just inches from his face.

"Shikamaru!" Chouji shouted as his best friend vanished from view.

"That's not good," Naruto sighed.

"What isn't?" Ino asked, an edge to her voice.

"Shikamaru just managed to seriously piss Kankurou off."

Ino frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Naruto didn't need to say anything once the smoke cleared. The smoking form lying at the center of the explosion was not Shikamaru. It was Kankurou's wrapped bundle, which was moving.

"That was too damn close," Shikamaru said calmly, now standing where the bundle had been previously. "Thanks for dragging whatever that is down here with you, or I'd be in real trouble without something to replace myself with."

"You're welcome," Kankurou said as he rose from the smoking wrappings with a glare.

Shikamaru stared, then looked at the first Kankurou, who had removed his hand from his head to reveal what looked like a singed wooden skull. "This is just too damn troublesome."

Gaara frowned as he watched the match. "Why are you holding back, Kankurou?" he whispered. "This was your basic strategy back when I was just a child. I know you must be stronger than this."

As if he could hear his younger brother, Kankurou formed a cross seal, and eight clones popped into existence, forming a circle around Shikamaru that they gradually began to tighten.

"If you know who I am, then you should know better than to try any kind of taijutsu," Shikamaru groaned. "And don't think simple clones can fool me."

"Who said they were simple?" Kankurou asked as the clones suddenly rushed Shikamaru.

The Nara boy's eyes widened when he realized that the clones actually had audible footsteps, and dove aside just in time as one of them tried to plant a kunai in his arm. "Shadow Clones?!"

"If you come from a clan of shadow manipulators, you really should've known that jutsu right away, even if you don't actually have enough chakra to use it yourself."

"Well, I know one jutsu I do have enough chakra for." Shikamaru managed to avoid Kankurou's clones long enough to slam both of his hands against the ground. "Kage Kekkai (Shadow Barrier)!" he shouted.

A dome of shadow flickered into existence around Shikamaru and the clones for an instant, and when it was gone, none of them moved.

Kankurou scowled, knowing his clones were useless to him now. Normally, he would've destroyed them at once, and in fact he still could. It was just becoming harder to fight as if he were still at genin level. In all honesty, he could've killed the Nara outright to start with. But that would've meant showing just how powerful he really was, and Sasori had forbidden him to do that.

Up on the balcony, Naruto frowned as Kankurou started walking towards Shikamaru and the frozen clones. "What's he thinking? Shikamaru will just have the clones attack him..."

Shikamaru was clearly thinking the same thing, because the eight Kankurou clones immediately ran past the Nara and headed for Kankurou.

"Karasu, defend!" Kankurou barked.

The Kankurou with the wooden skull exposed immediately cartwheeled to his master's side, spraying a shower of shrapnel from his mouth with such force that it tore through the clones and continued on towards Shikamaru.

The Nara boy was among the many that hadn't been expecting that, so he only had time to drop to the ground and flatten his body as much as he could. Most of the shower missed him, but a few pieces tore open the back of his shirt, leaving long, bloody wounds.

"It's over," Naruto sighed.

"How do you know?" Ino demanded.

"Kankurou now knows everything his Shadow Clones learned while they were out," Naruto explained. "And when Shikamaru took control of them, they learned how much chakra that shadow jutsu took out of him, and how much he had left. That's how Kankurou knew there was no way he could completely dodge the shrapnel. Shikamaru's running on empty, and now they both know it. It was a good fight, though. Most people can't even deal with just Karasu."

Shikamaru slowly got to his feet as Karasu crouched in front of Kankurou.

"Nothing personal," Kankurou said, "but I can't let you advance. Submit now, and the pain ends here."

"You obviously don't know Ino like I do," Shikamaru snorted. "I lose, she'll never shut up about it. So at the very least, I have to take you down."

"So it's for a girl?" Kankurou asked. "Hope she's smoking hot, then."

Karasu surged forward, kunai sprouting his wrists and ankles as he leaped and spun into another cartwheel, whizzing through the air like a giant shuriken.

Shikamaru swallowed noisily before raising his hand. "I, Nara Shikamaru, forfeit this match!"

Karasu instantly stopped, and Tsunade started to announce Kankurou the winner, but she was interrupted.

"I, Kankurou, also forfeit this match."

Virtually everyone was shocked, including Tsunade, who scowled and shouted, "Double forfeit, no winner!"

Shikamaru shuffled over to the medics, sighing as Shizune cut away the remains of his shirt to get a better look at his back. He frowned when Ino leaped off of the balcony and ran up to him.

"What the hell was that?!" Ino shouted. "You just quit!"

"Ino," Shikamaru said calmly. "See what kind of shape I'm in?"

Just to humor him, Ino looked. Now that his shirt was off, she gained a new appreciation for just how much blood he was losing. His body was slick with sweat, and she already knew his chakra was almost gone.

"Now take a look at him," Shikamaru grunted, pointing at Kankurou.

Ino frowned. Kankurou... looked fine. Like he'd forgotten to get tired or something. He didn't even need the medics to look him over, since Karasu had apparently taken all of the damage for him.

"I never stood a chance," Shikamaru sighed, wincing as Shizune plucked a large piece of glass from his back. "He was playing with me the whole time."

"Then why did he quit?"

"Because I did, and he didn't feel like winning. He just needed to know that I wasn't going to win, either. I guess it makes sense. The less representatives a village has in the finals, the less likely they'll be able to impress potential clients. But that doesn't explain why he quit, unless he's not worried about being in the finals for some reason. Maybe he has another reason for being here."

Ino didn't miss the way that Shizune paused in her work at hearing that. "Maybe Naruto knows..."

"I'm fine, by the way," Shikamaru added dryly, "thanks for asking."

Both of them stopped talking as the display board revealed the next two opponents.

**"Uchiha Sasuke vs. Abumi Zaku."**

* * *

_Konoha - Forest of Death - July_

Hyuuga Rei was a fairly standard kunoichi. She took orders well, did not ask too many questions, and was brutally efficient when needed.

She also did not like children, so the possibility of her having them, much less meeting someone who might give them to her, was never an issue. Ironically, this made her a perfect bodyguard, because all of her immediate family had died in an ambush years ago, and Rei had no one she would consider a friend. Her only commitment was to her clan, an attitude that had so far kept her life fairly straightforward.

For several years now, as a member of the Hyuuga Branch House, Rei had been a bodyguard to the Main House, first to Hinata, and then to Hanabi the instant she learned to crawl. Back then, Hanabi would bawl if anyone but Hinata touched her, which suited Rei just fine, because every time she had tried it, her hands either came away sticky, wet, or bitten. It had quickly become obvious to her that Hanabi was not a bad child, though: Hanabi merely saw that Hinata was the only one to treat her with affection, and responded accordingly. Only Rei had picked up on this, and she alone would go to fetch Hinata whenever an elderly caretaker held Hanabi captive. Eventually, Rei won the dubious distinction of being the only other person Hanabi would go to... and even then the girl would whimper until Rei had placed her in Hinata's arms.

Over the years, Rei's relationship with Hanabi had changed very little. She was now, for the most part, entirely responsible for Hanabi's safety, answering only to Hiashi, who had appointed her. Whenever Hanabi set foot outside of the compound, Rei was either with her, or shadowing her from a distance. She had found that trusting others with her duties was a good way to get left out of the loop, or to have Hanabi do something go wrong and get large groups of people yelled at.

Rei's job was made far easier by the fact that Hanabi remembered her, and had come to see her as something of a mother figure. At least, that was what Rei assumed, since Hanabi insisted on calling her "Rei-okaa," though it was likely she only did that to make Rei feel old. It didn't matter that Rei was only about ten years older than Hinata, as just being around Hanabi could make anyone feel older.

The truly odd part was that Rei did not love Hanabi in any way, shape, or form... or anyone else, for that matter. As far as she was concerned, her family was dead, and the Hyuuga were a group she had sworn lifelong loyalty to. She had even passed up an invitation to join ANBU (Hyuuga were practically the only ones who could refuse such an offer without dire consequences; absolutely everyone understood how strict the Hyuuga were when clan duties were involved).

What Rei understood, however, was that if Hanabi should die, she wouldn't do so alone. Hiashi had made it crystal clear that Rei should consider her own life inevitably tied to Hanabi's, and she had no doubt that the clan elders would agree. They had certainly executed Branch House members for less, after all. Not even Rei's ANBU-level skills could sway them if she failed to protect the heiress.

Consequently, Rei did not trust Hanabi's safety to many people. Unfortunately, that meant that she literally went everywhere Hanabi did, a fact that the young heiress exploited whenever she wanted to go somewhere without proper permission. Rei didn't actually have the authority to stop Hanabi from going anywhere, as her official title was "Chief Security Advisor." She was allowed to make suggestions, and Hanabi was allowed to ignore her. Hanabi was also allowed to give orders to Rei, who had to obey so long as they did not seriously compromise the girl's safety.

This was how Rei found herself leaping through the Forest of Death, with Hanabi riding on her back. This was, of course, highly dangerous and completely insane, but officially, Rei was physically able to protect Hanabi from any natural dangers in the forest, so this wasn't technically a "serious risk" as Hanabi had explained it.

Rei had known for some time that Hanabi could communicate with the dead, and that she had visions occasionally. Hanabi had never told her, but there was just no other way to explain some of the things the girl knew. Rei had told no one, because Hanabi's silence on the matter was a good as a gag order to her. Anyway, it would be twice as difficult to protect Hanabi if anyone else knew about her powers.

"Can't you go any faster?" Hanabi complained suddenly, squeezing Rei's neck a little.

"I'm sorry, Hanabi-sama," Rei apologized with little sincerity, "but this speed is best to ensure your protection."

Hanabi gasped in outrage. "You mean you CAN move faster?!"

Rei couldn't help smiling beneath the white tiger mask she wore. "Of course. But I won't." She had been given special permission to wear traditional ANBU gear at all times, perhaps in the unlikely hope that she might one day rethink her refusal to join up. On the other hand, she was also required to wear additional shoulder padding, to hide the fact that she lacked an ANBU tattoo. The general effect was that any attacker who saw Rei would assume that she was ANBU and back off.

"You're mean, Rei-okaa," Hanabi whined.

"If my being mean keeps you safe, then so be it." Rei paused on a tree branch, tilting her head slightly. "Hanabi-sama, have you seen any birds since we entered the forest?"

"No. Why?"

Before Rei could answer, a large, yellowish blur suddenly shot past them, letting out a strange, low whistle as it flew through the trees.

"Rei-okaa!" Hanabi said excitedly. "That was Shizuka!"

Sure enough, the yellow blur doubled back a few seconds later, slowing down enough for Rei to recognize the thunderbird and the Uchiha crest on her black cloak. Shizuka was even larger than the last time Rei had seen her at the Uchiha compound a few days ago.

"How could she know where we were?" Rei asked as Shizuka landed on a nearby tree and looked at them expectantly.

"Maybe she was looking for Sasuke," Hanabi guessed as she hopped off of Rei's back. "Maybe he's in trouble, too..."

"Who else is in trouble?" Rei asked, giving the girl a searching look.

Hanabi frowned. "Neji. He's hurt. That's all I know."

"What is it that you think you'll be able to do, once we get there?"

"I don't know," Hanabi admitted. "But I want to be there. Naruto, Gaara, Hinata, and the others are there, too."

Rei sighed. "You'd better hope the Sandaime is in a forgiving mood, Hanabi-sama. We could get in a lot of trouble for this."

"I'm technically carrying out his orders, anyway. He told me to guide Naruto, and I can't do that if I'm not with Naruto." Hanabi's eyes lit up as she turned to Shizuka. "Maybe she'll give us a ride..."

A minute later, Rei was sitting on Shizuka's back, holding Hanabi tightly to her chest as the trees blurred past them. "I am never listening to you again, Hanabi-sama!" she shouted.

* * *

"Get ready to lose, Uchiha!" Zaku sneered as Sasuke walked out onto the platform.

Sasuke just smirked and shook his head.

"Begin!" Tsunade shouted.

Zaku immediately slammed his wrists together and thrust them forward, revealing the tiny, twin cannons in his hands.

Sasuke quickly moved out of the way, his eyebrows raising slightly as he felt an blast of air fly past him. "A sound attack. So obvious."

"Shut up!" Zaku snapped, firing a stronger air blast.

Sighing, Sasuke drew Amekaze and stepped straight into the blast, neatly slicing through the middle of it and only feeling a slight breeze. "You'll have to do better than that."

"Take THIS!" Zaku shouted, the last word completely inaudible as a loud roar filled the room. The force of the next air blast actually shoved him back a few feet, and a wicked grin spread across his face.

"I think you should keep it," Sasuke replied, waving Amekaze over his head. The air blast changed direction as it neared him, circling the sword and growing even stronger and louder by the second.

"Bastard!" Temari shouted from the balcony. "You stole my attack!"

Grinning, Sasuke launched the powerful air blast back at Zaku, adding a high-pressure blast of water from the sword to help it along.

Zaku just stood there and gaped in shock as the attack mowed him down.

Tsunade was extremely disappointed; she'd been hoping that Sasuke would at least draw out the loudmouth's punishment. She was still pissed at Zaku for revealing her identity, and planned to deny him any sort of medical treatment beyond bed rest. "Winner: Uchiha Sasuke."

With a huge smile on his face, Sasuke sheathed his sword and headed back for the balcony, being sure to wave at Temari as she continued to pepper him, his clan, and his ancestors with loud curses.

Sakura frowned and turned to Shino. "I know the Sharingan can copy attacks, but when would Sasuke have had a chance to do it?"

"Perhaps he spied on her while she was training," Shino suggested. "But at least we now know she uses wind to fight as well."

"Forget that crap, look at the next fight!" Kiba shouted.

Neither of them could see it, but Shino frowned behind his high collar, convinced that someone up there hated him.

**"Aburame Shino vs. Subaku no Kyuubi."**

* * *

Neji woke up to find three females hovering over him. He was starting to think it was some sort of dream when one of them reached out and flicked his forehead rather hard, drawing an incensed cry of "Hanabi-sama!" Wincing, Neji focused on the smallest female, who was definitely glaring at him.

"You better not be this big a jerk if I do end up marrying you one day!" Hanabi snapped. "Are you crazy, or just stupid?!"

"What are you referring to?" Neji asked wearily. He hadn't expected to wake up to an interrogation.

"I want to know what the HELL... yes, I said HELL, Rei-okaa! Get over it! What the HELL you were thinking, forcing Hinata to fry your brain!"

Neji's face hardened. "I was not going to submit-"

Hanabi reached out and flicked him again, this time directly on the Branch House seal, causing Neji to whimper slightly. "Idiot! Your head will be full of mush if you keep this up! You do know that kind of damage doesn't heal, right? All the medics can really do is contain it so that your brain doesn't totally rot! And I'd kill you myself before I married a vegetable!"

"It doesn't bother you at all," Neji said, his voice shaking with anger, "that she used such a cheap way to win-"

Hanabi flicked him yet again, being sure he got plenty of her fingernail. "You ARE stupid, aren't you? You're NINJA! If you don't have sense enough to exploit a weakness, you shouldn't even be in the chuunin exams! Did you really think she'd do something noble and stupid like try to fight you? I'm sure Gaara beat silly notions like that out of her in the first week of training. I'm just surprised that you didn't see it coming, Neji. You're really not ready to be promoted, if you couldn't-"

Rei placed her hand on Hanabi's head, a move that earned her a dark look. "We should leave him alone, so he can rest."

"We'll do no such thing, Rei-okaa!"

"I'm sure he's in no mood to-"

"If I'm going to be his wife, the LEAST he'll have to do is listen while I yell at him for being an idiot! He might as well get used to it now!"

Neji almost smiled when Rei began dragging Hanabi away. This left him with the other dark-haired woman, who he assumed was a medic-nin.

"She'll make a good wife for you, Neji-san," the woman said, smiling at him.

He resisted the urge to tell her to shut up and heal him.

Hanabi suddenly zipped back into the room and leaped onto Neji's bed. "And if you EVER do something stupid that nearly kills you again, they'll never find your body," she hissed into his ear, right before she leaned up, gave him a peck on the forehead, and patted his cheek. "Now stay here, I'll come back and yell at you some more when the matches are done." With that, she ran out of the room.

"A great wife," Shizune said, muffling a giggle behind her hand.

Neji just glared at her and wished for crippling brain damage, so he would never remember any of this.

* * *

Shino was a realist. He had no illusions about beating Naruto. Even if he could ignore Naruto's transformation (and even doing that would be incredibly foolish), every sign pointed to Shino losing the match.

Naruto had more chakra than three Aburame, and several of the clan's jounin had developed abnormally large reserves to support multiple insect colonies. And the chakra itself was so powerful, Shino did not dare risk having his insects devour it. His insects did not like the scent of the chakra, did not like the way it almost seemed independent of Naruto himself.

Shino was not completely in the dark, though. He had known for some time that Gaara and Naruto were demon vessels, thanks largely to Gaara's statues and public outcry. It was a fairly safe bet that Naruto was every bit as powerful as Gaara, if not more, and Gaara was the only ninja in the exams that Shino would've outright refused to fight. Every Aburame lost some insects from time to time, but to needlessly sacrifice them was to risk alienating the surviving insects and become virtually powerless without their aid.

On the other hand, every single bug inside Shino's body wanted to fight. Normally, they obeyed without question, or at least without much protest. On the rare occasions when his insects all agreed without his input, however, it was best to listen to them. Shino could only assume that they wanted a good fight, and Naruto was bound to give them one. He only hoped that was all that Naruto planned to do.

Fortunately, Naruto did look a little uncomfortable as he stepped into the battle area. Shino found that curious, at least until Naruto spoke.

"I want to apologize in advance if any of your bugs get hurt or killed, Shino."

Shino smiled behind his high collar. "My friends and I appreciate the sentiment, Naruto-san, but we all accept the risks each time we go into battle. I would only take this match personally if I sensed you weren't putting your best effort into it."

Naruto scowled at him. "I still don't like the idea of hurting them myself, but maybe there's a way around it..."

Shino was left with that puzzling thought as Tsunade shouted for the match to begin. He immediately ordered his insects to emerge from his sleeves, wondering what Naruto would do to avoid them.

Grinning, Naruto knelt down and slapped his palm against the floor. "Rise, Arashi!" he shouted.

Very few people saw the Sandaime's face go white at that, but Tsunade was one of them.

What looked like a small, blue tornado formed above Naruto's head and touched down in front of him, the winds dying down to reveal a glowing, blue, vaguely humanoid figure. It was about the size of a small child, but it had no features that Shino could see.

"Don't kill them," Naruto said quietly. "But don't go easy on them, either."

There was strange, high-pitched tinkling sound, and Shino thought it might be laughter, based on what happened next.

Multiple cyclones touched down all over the battle area, tearing up chunks of tile as they raced along. Shino was not positive what would happen to him if he got sucked into one, but somehow he doubted human bones would stand up to that kind of power for very long. His insects definitely wouldn't, and realizing that, many had already retreated to the relative safety of his sleeves. That is, assuming Shino did the smart thing and protected them.

"I, Aburame Shino, forfeit this match."

The cyclones instantly vanished, as did the blue figure.

Sighing, Naruto shrugged a bit. "Sorry, Shino." And then, since he wouldn't have to fight anymore, he undid his transformation.

Tsunade's eyes widened as Naruto's features changed back to normal, but she merely announced him the winner.

For having just lost a match, Shino was strangely calm as he walked back up to the balcony. He could already see Sakura and Kiba staring at him in disbelief.

Curiously, he could also see that Hokage had been joined by two Hyuuga, neither of which seemed too concerned with Hinata's presence in the room. In fact, once they were done talking to him, they actually approached Hinata, who even looked happy to see them, although in a somewhat subdued way.

"You just gave up," Kiba murmured, shock still dominant on his face as Shino walked up. "You NEVER give up."

"I've never been completely outclassed, either," Shino replied. "For not wanting to hurt my insects, he seemed to know exactly what kind of attack would hurt them."

"But he didn't?" Sakura asked, as if hoping for a positive answer.

"He didn't. The cyclones were mostly for show, to prove he could."

On the other side of the room, the Sandaime settled back in his chair, frowning deeply. He knew his heart hadn't been the only one to stop, when Naruto had said that name. But the boy didn't seem to realize its importance, or perhaps that was just a clever act.

Still, it was good to see that Naruto had some sympathy towards his former classmates. Maybe there was still time for Hanabi to work her magic.

* * *

Akatsuki cloaks were wondrous tools. Each had a small horde of equipment sealed into them, so each member was prepared for virtually any situation. The more senior members had long since customized theirs: Zetsu loaded his with various soils, vitamins, and water to recover between fights; Itachi was rumored to carry remnants of the long lost Uchiha library of secret scrolls; Orochimaru, while he wasn't big on cloaks, had stored a wealth of stolen jutsu scrolls in his (and had even left them behind, though it was a safe bet he'd learned them all first).

Tobi's cloak was currently empty, which was incredibly misleading. Currently, though he didn't know it, Tobi was one of the most versatile genjutsu masters alive. He didn't consider the things that came naturally to him true ninja skills, although he had noticed that he could keep up with virtually every member of Akatsuki in a spar, once he had an idea of how they preferred to fight. Actually beating them was another thing entirely, but Tobi would worry about that when and if it became necessary.

The main thing Tobi used his cloak for was sleeping. It was an excellent blanket, and nothing put him to sleep faster than staring at the red clouds (of course, that was actually one of many subconscious genjutsu that Tobi had created as a child).

Unfortunately, Tobi's cloak did nothing to prevent nightmares (which had also been with him since he was a child).

Fortunately, it didn't need to. Because where Tobi once would've had to deal with his night terrors alone, he now had a partner who was no stranger to nightmares herself. Even more importantly, his partner enjoyed cuddling, and was both small enough and cute enough where it wasn't awkward. So nobody thought it was weird that Tobi usually went to sleep clutching Hatsumi like she was a plushie. THEY certainly weren't going to cuddle with him, and he wasn't quite stupid enough to ask it of them.

But Tobi's nightmares were fairly persistent, so Hatsumi commonly had to wake up in the middle of the night and comfort him. She didn't ask what he dreamed about, and he offered her no explanation.

Still, Hatsumi was a curious child, and finally, she had to know what bothered her partner so. The worst he could say was nothing, and even then there was a decent chance she could drag it out of him with enough whining and tears. But that was strictly a last resort.

The question itself was simple enough, and all Hatsumi really had to do was wait until Tobi had fallen asleep one night. Then she poked him awake, and asked simply, "Who's Obito?"

Tobi was instantly fully awake. "Someone you don't know."

Hatsumi frowned, but wasn't so easily discouraged. "Would I like him?"

This was clearly an unexpected route, because Tobi took a long time in answering. "Yes. Very much. I did, at least."

"He's gone, then?"

"Yes, Hami-chan. For a long time now."

Hatsumi gently laid her head against his chest. "Was he your friend?"

"Not really. He never knew me. But I knew him... everything about him. I wanted to be him."

"How come?"

"Because... he was my twin brother," Tobi murmured, lowering his head. "But we were born at the wrong time, or maybe just into the wrong clan."

"Which clan? Not Birdie's?" Hatsumi asked.

"Close," Tobi whispered as he slowly reached up and pulled off his mask. He'd never done that for anyone, and yet... somehow, he wasn't afraid with her.

A soft gasp was Hatsumi's reply as she stretched out her small hands and carefully touched his face. "Big Buddy," she finally whispered, "you're beautiful..."

For the first time in a long time, Tobi cried, openly and without shame. And even as the tears flowed down his face, Hatsumi continued to cup his face in awe, hypnotized by his eyes. She had seen the Sharingan plenty of times, as Itachi always activated it when she got too close. She had only seen pictures of the Byakugan, but never had she seen anyone with both.

Tobi's right eye was the telltale black and red of a mastered, three tomoe Sharingan. But the left eye looked nearly twice as large, was a curious, milky lavender, and surrounded by prominent veins.

"So pretty," Hatsumi cooed, leaning forward to gently kiss him on the nose. "Even prettier than Birdie."

Tobi had no idea what to say to this. He had spent most of his childhood in a cavern beneath the Hyuuga compound, hidden away because neither clan would accept a freak that belonged to both and neither at the same time. It was one of the few times he knew of that both clans had been in agreement: the Hyuuga made his parents disappear, and the Uchiha made sure that Obito never knew he had a twin. The Hyuuga had fed and clothed Tobi, but just barely. He'd developed genjutsu that even they couldn't penetrate out of necessity, as that was the only way he ever got to see daylight, or Obito.

Even Obito was treated like an outcast, but Tobi would've killed to have his brother's life. Tobi had been forced to name himself, and that name didn't even exist, as far as Konoha knew. He was just one of several nameless mistakes that the two clans had produced. Every day, it seemed, he watched other children just like him, only weaker, die shivering and alone, crying for parents they'd never known. Each death reminded him that he was lucky so far, and that luck would run out eventually. When it did, he either had to be skilled enough to survive, or dead, too. And so he had survived.

But Obito had not. Around the time of Obito's death, Tobi could project genjutsu so powerful that he was completely undetectable, even to the Hyuuga guards that were meant to keep him locked up. He got great pleasure from following Obito's team on missions. None of them ever sensed him, except for their sensei, but the man never said anything, so Tobi didn't worry about it.

Tobi had learned what he could from watching Obito's team, and despite his own natural talent for genjutsu, he'd been nowhere near their overall skill level. If he'd ever tried to help them, he would've only gotten in the way, and gotten himself exposed.

Watching Obito die was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. Tobi had made so many plans, to one day introduce himself to his twin, when he was older and could better handle the shock. But it had all crumbled beneath a mountain of rock. Afterwards, Tobi had dug up Obito's body with his bare and bleeding hands, and held his brother for the first and last time. He might still be sitting there, in fact, if Obito's sensei hadn't come back for him. Neither said a word, but something in the man's eyes told Tobi that he should not follow them back to Konoha. And what had been there, save for continued imprisonment? He did not exist there, and already disappearing for days at a time had become a habit of his. And now that Obito was gone, there was nothing tying him to that place.

Obito's sensei gave Tobi enough food and water to last for a few days, and then they parted ways, never to meet again. He almost found it funny that the kind, silent man had become the Yondaime Hokage, because while Tobi had never officially been a ninja, that man had virtually made him a missing-nin.

* * *

_Konoha - Hospital Records Room - July_

Kurenai was in a bad mood, but this was mostly due to the fact that Itachi was a sick, sick man.

But he wasn't ill, or even sick in the head. No, Itachi was sick in that he apparently enjoyed human suffering. Kurenai could think of no other reason why Itachi would drag her down to the hospital's old filing room. After all, the only files he'd more than glanced at were those dealing with the Uchiha Clan... right up until Itachi had wiped them out.

Then Itachi started chuckling, softly, but still loud enough for Kurenai to hear. It disgusted her, and if she had to spend another minute in his company, she was going to-

"Kurenai-san. Did you know Uchiha Obito?"

Kurenai blinked and looked up to find Itachi's back was to her, though he clearly expected an answer. "Vaguely. He was Kakashi's teammate."

"Did he strike you as having the potential for becoming a medic-nin?"

"No, but few people would have and do, even now. Why does it matter?"

Itachi finally turned around, handing her an old folder. "According to this, Uchiha Obito once participated in a class on basic healing jutsu, taught by none other than Tsunade of the Sannin."

Kurenai stared at him blankly.

Itachi frowned, clearly expecting more of a reaction. "The only way a Uchiha in general, and Obito in particular, could have much success at healing would be to copy the jutsu with his Sharingan."

"And?" Kurenai asked.

"You surprise me, Kurenai-san. I thought surely you would recall that the mission where Obito finally activated his Sharingan was the same one he never came back from."

Kurenai's eyes widened. "But you just said-"

"Precisely. Look at Tsunade's comments on his performance in the class."

Kurenai looked down and winced. She'd never seen such horrible grades. Tsunade had scribbled down, "Nice kid, above average chakra control, can only heal himself, and even that appears more subconscious than anything else. Exceptional genjutsu, though."

"Obito's only real talent was taijutsu, and even that was average at best," Itachi stated. "The clan records confirmed that much."

"Why are you so interested in him?" Kurenai asked.

"I'm not. I'm interested in the person who impersonated him and flunked out of Tsunade's class."

Kurenai gaped. "That's quite a leap to make, isn't it?"

"No. I've just told you that Obito had none of the talents listed here, and that medical jutsu would've been pointless to him without his Sharingan, which he obviously didn't have when he supposedly took this class. That begs the question of why anybody would go to the trouble of posing as him. Certainly it would've been strange to see any Uchiha showing any interest in healing... but for Obito, who had talent for almost nothing, it could be passed off as him simply searching for something, anything he might be good at. No one would notice. More importantly, no one would care or question it."

"So someone impersonated the boy for a day, and failed a class. Why does it matter? He's dead, and this person doesn't seem to have done much damage to his reputation."

"It matters, Kurenai-san, because while Obito is dead, his impersonator is not. It matters because there is only one person who would've cared enough to mask himself as Obito. It matters because this person is even more skilled in genjutsu than you and I combined. It matters because this person might have even been the inspiration for Tsunade's famous disguises. It matters... because he recently joined Akatsuki."

* * *

Naruto watched in some amusement as a few jounin tried to fix up the battle area he'd destroyed in his match. Some of them shot him dirty looks that he knew, for once, had nothing to do with his being a demon vessel. It was pretty funny, frankly.

"Naru nii-chan?" asked a soft voice beside him.

He turned his head and grinned. "Hey, Hanabi-chan."

Hanabi stared up at him uncertainly. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Oh. Yeah, fine. That was mostly for show, what you saw earlier. But it really wasn't a good idea for you to be with us then." He reached over and ruffled her hair in what he seemed to think was an affectionate manner.

Frowning, Hanabi straightened her hair as best she could. "What was that you did in the match?"

His smile widened. "You saw that, huh? Well, I can't say much, at least not here. Don't want everyone to know."

Hanabi pouted. "Please?"

"Nice try, but no. A ninja should never reveal his secrets... and if he does, he should make sure no one else overhears."

"I don't like you anymore," she huffed, turning away from him.

"Yeah, you do," Naruto laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and tugging her into his chest.

"Naruto!" Ino hissed from his other side, drawing his attention. "What do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea who that is?!"

He blinked slowly. "Yeah, it's Hanabi-chan. You know her?"

"She's the Hyuuga heiress, and if someone sees you actually TOUCHING her, you'll be in huge trouble! Do you have any idea how nuts-"

Hanabi cleared her throat loudly.

"I mean, how PROTECTIVE those people are of their own?"

Naruto and Hanabi glanced at each other, sharing small smirks. "Oh, I see. So I probably shouldn't be doing this, either?" he asked, resting his chin on Hanabi's head and wrapping both of his arms around her.

Curiously, Ino said nothing, but her face turned a spectacular shade of red.

"Jealousy does not look good on her," Kyuubi decided from within Naruto's head.

That made Naruto pause. "She's jealous?"

"Of COURSE she is! You really think anyone with sense cares what happens to the Hyuuga? They might be well-respected, but nobody actually LIKES them!"

Kyuubi did actually have a point. Ino hadn't mentioned the Hyuuga in any of their conversations so far, so it was weird that she was suddenly concerned about him touching Hanabi.

Grinning at Ino, Naruto laughed loudly. "Aw, it's okay! Hanabi-chan is showing me the sights while I'm here. Hokage's orders, you know how it is." He knew that last part was necessary, because he could tell Ino had been about to demand why she hadn't been asked.

"That doesn't explain why you're touching her!" Ino snapped without thinking.

"Told you," Kyuubi purred smugly, which was a very strange sound, coming from him.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. "She's okay with it. I mean, she was the one all over me when we first met. Anyway, if she didn't like it, trust me, we'd all know it."

Hanabi frowned and stomped on Naruto's foot. "Don't make me sound like a brat!"

Naruto smiled painfully, digging his chin into Hanabi's head hard enough to make her wince. "See?"

Ino snorted. "Yeah, I can feel the love..."

"You should see her with her boyfriend," Naruto teased, earning another stomp from Hanabi.

"She has a boyfriend?" Ino asked curiously.

"Yeah, he's-"

Hanabi's head flew up, knocking Naruto on the chin and making him bite his tongue. "None of your business!"

Ino tried not to laugh as Naruto whined and rolled around on the ground while Hanabi beat on his back with her little fists. She nearly missed the jounin finally leaving the battle area and the display board showing the next pair of opponents. "Hey, guys?"

"Stupid nii-chan!" Hanabi growled, pulling on Naruto's ears while he tried to tickle her.

"Um, guys?"

"You have to be a little more deliberate," Temari explained as she walked up, reaching for her fan.

Naruto instantly dropped Hanabi and covered his head. "I'll be good!"

Temari smirked and patted him roughly on the head. "You better, or I'll see that Hanabi gets her own fan."

"You wouldn't!" Naruto cried.

"Just shut up and look at the next match, Naruto."

"Why, what...?" Naruto trailed off as he got a look at the next match's participants.

**"Tsuchi Kin vs. Inuzuka Kiba."**

The match was short and more than a little embarrassing, at least it was for Kin. She tried to stop the dog-boy with genjutsu, having no idea that Kiba had been trained under a genjutsu mistress and could now easily penetrate illusions, either by trusting his nose or Akamaru's. Kin spent the first two minutes throwing senbon with bells at Kiba, and just knew she had him when she finally triggered her illusion. She got a nasty surprise when Kiba and Akamaru ripped their way through it and slammed into her like a ton of bricks. The duo hadn't even bothered to use any jutsu.

Naruto felt sorry for Kin, but didn't show it as he congratulated Kiba on an easy win afterwards. He felt Kin's eyes on him as he said it, but ignored that uneasy sensation as best he could.

The next matches were much of the same: quick, easy wins.

Temari faced Chouji in what had to be the most embarrassing match. She'd noticed how sensitive Chouji was about his weight, so instead of teasing him about it, she'd done the exact opposite, and hit on him until he dropped his guard, then whacked him over the head with her fan for an easy knockout.

Gaara faced Tenten next... or he would've, if she hadn't forfeited the match immediately. Lee shouted how unyouthful it was to give up without trying, but Tenten clobbered him into silence... which wasn't a good idea, since his match with Dosu was up next. It didn't matter in the least, though: Dosu blasted Lee's ears with sound waves and knocked him out before Lee could recover.

Perhaps because everyone was stunned as to how the last couple of matches turned out, nobody realized who the remaining participants were until their names were displayed.

**"Haruno Sakura vs. Yamanaka Ino."**

* * *

Ino knew she had lost the moment her name appeared beneath Sakura's. They were pretty evenly matched in genjutsu. That left ninjutsu and taijutsu, and Sakura was better at both.

But Ino also knew she was being watched closely. She had to prove that she wasn't useless to Konoha. That meant going through with this match, and at least showing that she could still fight.

Sakura knew that as well, and therefore taking it easy on Ino would make them both, and Konoha, look bad. "Sorry, Ino," she mouthed when their eyes met, and Ino nodded in response, smiling grimly.

"You gonna be okay?" Naruto asked as Ino walked by him.

Ino merely gave him the same smile she'd given Sakura.

"That's what I thought," Naruto muttered, shaking his head.

Ino tried not to think too much as she walked down to the battle area, but it was impossible. Konkon was babbling various battle strategies, most of which Ino instantly discarded because they involved seriously hurting Sakura. On the other hand, if she didn't come at Sakura with everything she had, the match itself was pointless. But if she ended up hurting Sakura the way she'd hurt Shikamaru, Ino would never be able to look at herself in the mirror again.

"Are we sure about this?" Sakura whispered as they faced each other. "If you want, I can just-"

"Sakura, you quitting will only hurt me. Fighting you will make me stronger, and if I don't, what am I going to do against someone who won't hold back in the finals? If you really care about me... act like you don't."

It was a crazy thing to say, and they both knew it. But the hard look in Sakura's green eyes proved that she'd heard every word, and both girls nodded to Tsunade, who shouted for them to begin.

Sakura started the match much like Kiba had his, which showed just how big an influence the Inuzuka Clan had had on her fighting style. The only real difference was that Sakura didn't run on all fours, although she had a way of running bent at the waist with her chin strangely close to the ground that seemed fittingly beast-like. Ino had thought it funny the first time she'd seen it, at least until Sakura had suddenly closed the distance between them and decked her. Now, she knew to keep as far away as possible when Sakura moved like that, no matter how impossible it sounded.

"You better let me out, Ino," Konkon advised. "We can't match her speed, but at least I can avoid it while you come up with something."

"Fine. But don't-"

"Don't kill her, I know."

Although she wasn't pleased with Konkon's tone, Ino really had no choice. She quickly surrendered control of her body, just as Sakura moved in for an opening swipe.

Everyone in the room was startled as Ino's right foot flew up with blurring speed, catching Sakura in the right shoulder with an audible crack and causing the pink-haired girl to hiss in pain as she backed off a few feet. Sakura didn't have much time to rethink her strategy, though, because Ino lunged at her with kunai in both hands. It was enough unlike Ino that Sakura instantly knew her friend was letting the "other" Ino lead; neither Ino nor Sakura liked to have their hands blocked from forming hand seals in a fight.

Sakura quickly darted back, wincing as her shoulder began to throb painfully. The last thing she needed in this fight was another distraction, and she needed time to do something about her shoulder. She couldn't really pull off too many jutsu at the moment, so taijutsu was her main weapon for now. Grimacing, Sakura dodged two stabs from Ino's kunai, then caught her friend with a powerful backhanded blow from her left hand, following that up with a flying tackle that sent them both slamming into the wall. Ino let out a strangled cry as she was driven partially into the wall, but Sakura stumbled away and roughly pulled on her right arm, groaning as the pain faded into blissful numbness. Hana had warned her that it really wasn't a good idea to deaden her pain receptors for very long, since it was easy to miss how badly hurt the body truly was, but it was the only way Sakura could fight without her shoulder slowing her down. She'd worry about the injury later, she decided.

Ino didn't move for several seconds, and Sakura began to wonder if she'd been a bit too rough. She risked a glance at Tsunade, and paid for it when a flying kunai nearly took off a chunk of her hair. Sakura was too surprised to be angry as Ino pulled herself out of the wall, muttering curses under her breath. The curses turned out to be something far different, though, as twenty copies of Ino popped into existence around Sakura. And since she knew Ino had never been able to produce that many clones...

"So you want a genjutsu battle, Ino? Fine, but remember it was your mistake!"

"Maybe not," Ino gasped, having trouble breathing normally after that last hit. "Only my illusions are real!"

This wasn't quite true, though: only the effects of Ino's genjutsu were startlingly real. Her illusions were just as fake as anyone else's. But in a fight, it was hard to tell the difference, and that was the part that worried Sakura as she attacked the nearest clone. Predictably, her fist went right through it, but the punch it delivered to her damaged shoulder was real enough, and Sakura felt it, if only vaguely due to the self-induced numbness.

"Don't waste time and energy fighting what isn't there!" Inner Sakura shouted inside her head. "Fight her like Kiba-kun would! Pretend Akamaru is with you!"

Sakura blinked and grinned. It was the perfect tactic. Ino used illusions to keep her enemies at a distance, but Sakura had no fear of close combat, even in her condition. The clones looked and hit like Ino, but they didn't smell like her.

With an almost feral grin on her face, Sakura ran through the clones, ignoring the occasional hits they scored and heading straight for Ino's scent, which she knew like the back of her hand. And just like she'd expected, Ino panicked, which meant she'd taken control from her other again at some point. Sakura had every intention of exploiting that mistake, and moved in with a straight punch to Ino's face, stunning her long enough for Sakura to grab Ino's arm and toss her into the wall again. It was brutal, but in some ways it was better than beating on Ino with her own two hands the whole time.

Ino had enough presence of mind not to hit the wall headfirst, but having her back hit first a second time was by no means pleasurable, either. She reminded herself that this would impress no one, and made up her mind to stop letting Sakura control the pace of the match.

If that meant fighting dirty, well, Sakura had just thrown her into a wall. She was under no obligation to play nice.

Sakura frowned as Ino's upside-down form began to waver, signaling the start of a genjutsu. She darted forward to stop Ino before it could take hold, but she was too late, since it was actually a henge Ino was performing. Sakura was just about to bury her fist into her friend's face again when the blonde suddenly became one of the few things Sakura would never dream of hitting.

"Akamaru! Ino, you dirty little-!" Sakura growled as she grabbed for the dog, which let out an authentic whine and cowered in the face of Sakura's anger. Puzzled, Sakura sniffed, and her eyes widened in cold fury. "INO!!!"

Kiba pretty much had the same expression on his face, since Ino had just appeared next to him on the balcony, having replaced herself with the dog under the appearance of a henge. The blond girl hopped over the balcony, launching a spray of shuriken at Sakura, who was distracted as she tried to comfort the real Akamaru.

Akamaru was not so afraid that he didn't notice they were under attack. With a warning bark to Sakura, he leaped onto her head, freeing up her hands to deflect most of the shuriken with two hastily thrown kunai. One shuriken grazed her left arm, another doing the same to her cheek.

"No more mercy, Ino," Sakura growled. "You're no friend of mine anymore, not if you would put Akamaru in danger like that."

"You say that like we'd stay friends if I don't impress anyone today!" Ino snapped as she landed and rushed at Sakura. "I know you'd abandon me if they took me off of active duty!"

Sakura was momentarily confused by the hurt in Ino's voice, since she would never do such a thing, but she quickly brushed it aside when Inner Sakura reminded her of just why they were so mad. "I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't care anymore, Ino! You almost made me hurt Akamaru, and that's unforgivable for an Inuzuka!"

"I-Inuzuka?" Ino whispered, her face paling at the implications.

Akamaru seemed to stand a little taller on Sakura's head as the air around her face became hazy, revealing bright red, almost pink fang-like tattoos on her cheeks. In addition, there was a long, horizontal slash across her forehead.

"We weren't going to announce it until after the exams, but now is the perfect time. Akamaru!"

The white dog let out a strange, echoing bark that had everyone nearby shutting their eyes and clapping their hands over their ears in pain. By the time Ino remembered that she was still in a fight, Sakura had grabbed her arms and began to squeeze, slowly but surely applying crushing force to them.

"Give up, Ino, before I break both of your arms," Sakura bit out.

Ino wanted to give up, but she was in so much pain that she could only utter a trembling whine as she fell to her knees, tears spilled down her face.

"GIVE UP!" Sakura shouted, and if Ino had bothered to raise her head, she would've seen that Sakura was crying as well.

"I CAN STILL FIGHT!" Ino screeched, shaking her head violently. And then, with a glazed look in her eyes, she yelled, "I WON'T LET YOU BASTARDS ANYWHERE NEAR ME!!!"

Sakura almost stopped her assault at that point, but suddenly the world darkened around her, and she felt tiny pinches all over her skin. She had no idea what was happening, until she looked down. Floating kunai were pointing at every inch of exposed skin, and she could even feel several lying against her neck.

Ino meant to kill her, she realized with shock. If Sakura moved more than a few centimeters, she might very well bleed to death. But this also meant she couldn't stop crushing Ino's arms, because releasing the pressure might cost her a few fingers.

"Enough," said a soft voice.

The darkness faded abruptly, and Sakura gasped as she saw Naruto kneeling behind Ino, his arms around her waist in a tight hug. Ino immediately passed out, and Sakura knew it had been closer to a bear hug. Swallowing hard, Sakura released Ino's arms, flinching at the red bruises she left behind. Akamaru's soft whine did little to comfort her.

"Well, this is a mess," Tsunade sighed as she walked over and knelt beside them, staring at each girl for a moment.

"I didn't mean to-" Sakura began.

"Hmm? Oh, not that. It's just hard to declare a winner, I mean. But I guess since you," Tsunade added, pointing at Naruto, "interfered for her sake," she pointed at Ino, "that counts as a surrender, which means Inuzuka Sakura wins."

"Hold on!" Shikamaru shouted as he ran up, shooting Sakura a dirty look. "She used Akamaru! He belongs to Kiba, so it's cheating!"

"Not really," Tsunade explained, smirking. "First, your teammate was the one that dragged the poor thing into the match, so Sakura had every right to use him as well. Second, if my hunch is right, Sakura is not only a full-fledged member of the Inuzuka Clan, but also Kiba's wife, which means Akamaru is technically hers as well as Kiba's. Basically, the only way Sakura wouldn't have been able to use him legally is if Akamaru had refused to obey because he didn't recognize her as his mistress. He obviously does, so no rule was broken."

"Ino wasn't thinking straight," Naruto said quietly, carefully picking up the unconscious Yamanaka girl. "She should have forfeited long before it went this far, but she's too stubborn. Even if she had managed to beat Sakura, she'd have no business facing a stronger opponent. You know I'm right, Shikamaru. She isn't ready. She was about to kill her best friend. Again." He turned and carried Ino over the medic-nin.

Shikamaru paled slightly. Sakura knew he was recalling Ino's attack on him. "Sakura... sorry. I shouldn't have said-"

"Forget it," Sakura murmured, lowering her head and hugging Akamaru tightly to her chest. "I didn't even want to win, and definitely not this way. I don't know if I'll be in any shape to fight a stronger opponent after this, either."

"I hope you'll rethink that," Tsunade said with a frown. "You're one of the most promising kunoichi I've seen in a while. But I wouldn't suggest you ignore that arm any longer, no matter how tough you are. I'll take a look at it in a sec-."

"Could you treat Ino first?" Sakura blurted out. "Um, please?"

"Fine, but you're next." Tsunade motioned for one of the Leaf-nin to take over as she went to deal with the wounded.

Surprisingly, it was Kakashi who stepped forward. "Congratulations to those who advanced. You will now have a period of one month to recover and train before you face each other in the final round. The matches are as follows. Uchiha Hinata will face Kinuta Dosu. Temari will face Gaara. The winners of those two matches will face each other. Subaku no Kyuubi will face Inuzuka Sakura. Uchiha Sasuke will face Inuzuka Kiba. The winners of those two matches will face each other as well, and so on. A panel of judges will decide which of you are worthy of becoming chuunin, regardless of whether you win or lose."

None of the participants looked happy with the matches. Even Dosu was upset, since he'd have to go through Sasuke's teammates to face the Uchiha himself in the last match. And chances were Sasuke would take the death of his teammates a little personally, or so Dosu figured.

* * *

_Konoha - Hokage's Office - July_

"So the invasion will happen during the final round," Tsunade muttered.

"It seems that way," the Sandaime replied as he paced his office. "The number of deaths would be higher, with most of the village all in once place. I suspect that's what he would prefer."

"So you're just going to increase security and hope for the best? You know that won't work. Not with Orochimaru. You need a plan, and you need-"

"Two Sannin instead of one," the Hokage interrupted.

"I wouldn't hold my breath. Jiraiya won't come. He's dropped off the face of the earth, remember? Nobody knows where he is."

"And that's just the way I like it, Tsunade-hime," said a deep voice in her ear.

Gasping, Tsunade spun around, coming face to face with her former teammate. "Jiraiya?! What... HOW?!"

The Toad Sannin looked completely different from the last time either person in the room had seen him. No more gaudy, attention-grabbing clothes, for one thing. Now Jiraiya was clad in a flowing black cloak with red clouds on it. His face had also changed, as it was now covered in solid black camouflage paint. Even his long hair was now dyed black.

"That cloak," Tsunade said, her voice trembling. "Why do you have it?"

"Stole it from one of their bases," Jiraiya replied. "It's been damn useful for expanding my intelligence network, though. You have no idea how many fools never bother to ask questions when they see these colors. A simple henge, and you can get information from just about anyone. These guys are a lot more influential than I first thought."

"I take it this isn't a social visit, Jiraiya?" the Sandaime asked.

"Tsunade's been targeted by Akatsuki. They think she has dirt on Orochimaru, and they've had no luck getting info from him."

"Is that all?" Tsunade snorted. "I'd tell them anything to get rid of him."

Jiraiya smirked. "You don't want to tell them this, if you do know. They're looking for the Hachibi. Taking it would cripple Orochimaru, but it would also make Akatsuki more powerful in the long run."

Tsunade shook her head. "Tough luck. If I knew where the damn thing was, I'd have sealed it away myself years ago. Are you sure we can't just help them find it? A crippled Orochimaru would be good for everyone, you know."

"True," the Sandaime sighed, "but I would rather take my chances against the devil we do know well. It's too much to hope that Orochimaru and Akatsuki would destroy each other. Right now, we need to ensure Konoha's survival. All of our best pieces must be in play."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Nobody ever died over a game of Shogi, old man. But I see where you're going with this. Just leave the Sand brat to me."

"You aren't really going to teach him?" Tsunade demanded. "He's an enemy now!"

"He's still Arashi's son, whatever side he may be on. He's never gotten anything useful from Konoha before. Maybe the Rasengan will be enough to change his mind. You never know. At this point, he's far more trustworthy than your own son, Tsunade-hime."

Tsunade glared at him, but said nothing.

The Sandaime cleared his throat. "Please see if you can do something with Sakura, Tsunade. I think we will have a great need for talented medic-nin in the near future. I have already arranged for specialized training for Gaara's squad."

At that very moment, the members of Gaara's squad had already begun their month-long training.

Sasuke had flown up to the nearby mountains on Shizuka's back, only to find Haku and Kakashi waiting on him. There was only one thing either of them had in common, so without a word, Sasuke drew Raiden and waited for them to attack.

Hinata had returned to the Uchiha compound, along with Hanabi and Rei. Rei was one of the few Hyuuga that ever used a sword, though of course the clan had forbid her to teach anyone else. So she was all too happy to teach Hinata, especially with the Hokage's blessing.

Gaara was now far beneath the Hokage Monument, standing near an underground spring. He listened and watched intently as Usako explained and demonstrated every Suiton jutsu she knew, and told him everything she'd ever learned about Hoshigaki Kisame.

They were not the only ones training, however.

Deep in the Forest of Death, Naruto stared at Yugito and Kyojuu, wondering again just how they were able to trust him still, and why they were so determined to help him.

"It's time you stopped holding back," Kyojuu said at last. "I'm going to teach you how to actually use those tails of yours without losing your mind. You probably won't be able to handle any more than five, but even that's way better than what you've got now."

"It will be painful, Naruto-kun," Yugito warned him. "But you won't regret it when you can call on Kyuubi's true power, and are actually able to focus it."

**End of Chapter 28.**

* * *

Endnotes:

I took a bit of artistic license with the Branch House seal, I'm fairly sure it just causes crippling pain upon activation, the part about Hyuuga blood I just made up.

To be clear, Hinata COULD beat Neji if she used her sword, assuming it choose to cooperate with her.

Well, there you have it. Tobi is not Obito. But it was awfully close, considering he could've been and even wanted to be. Of course, this makes them twin hybrids, but it was a lot more obvious in Tobi's case, unfortunately for him.

To be clear, Hatsumi's definition of what is pretty or beautiful is anything that can constantly hold her interest for more than a moment. So it's less that she actually finds such things attractive, and more that she just finds them incredibly interesting.

I was gonna write out all of the matches, but some of them weren't exactly vital to the story, so... yeah.

To my knowledge, all Inuzuka have the basic fang tattoo on both cheeks (at least I think it's a fang). Hana also has a design on her right arm that reminds me of a rounded pitchfork, so I'm guessing more than one tattoo is a common thing. I think it's fitting for Sakura to have one on her forehead, since it shows she's proud of her new clan affiliation (and that she has more confidence about her forehead).

Shikamaru's jutsu:

**Kage Kekkai (Shadow Barrier):**

An advanced Nara-style technique that briefly creates a barrier of shadow. Anything within the barrier instantly has it's shadow seized, therefore allowing the user to manipulate the target(s). Also, anything within the barrier that has no shadow is given one that the user also gains control over (so no extra light source is needed).

Kankurou's jutsu:

**Ryuusandan no Jutsu (Shrapnel Technique):**

A small, powerful cannon hidden inside Karasu's mouth fires sharp projectiles at a target, with enough force to tear straight through an enemy.

**Shuriken Karasu:**

Kunai emerge from Karasu's wrists and ankles, and he is able to fly through the air at high speed, spinning (and cutting) like a shuriken.

Sakura's jutsu:

**Kareeda no Jutsu (Dead Branch Technique):**

An Inuzuka medical jutsu passed down exclusively among females. The technique involves numbing pain to a limb by applying chakra to certain pressure points. This allows the user to keep fighting without being distracted by pain. However, it also makes them less conscious of further damage done to the limb, and keeping the jutsu activated too long can cause a permanent loss of feeling. Note: "Eda" can refer to a tree branch or a limb, and I was originally going to call this jutsu "Dead Limb" before I saw the translation, and this way is more fitting for a Konoha clan.

Arashi's attack doesn't get named because wind spirits don't actually use jutsu themselves, they merely lend power to wind jutsu. Ino's first is a nameless genjutsu, the second is the same she used on Shikamaru.


	29. Foxes Are A Girl's Best Friend

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 29: Foxes Are A Girl's Best Friend**

* * *

_Konoha - Hospital, White Ward (Genjutsu Snares/Head Trauma) - August_

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Shizune quietly slipped into Yamanaka Ino's hospital room, only to find that the miserable situation hadn't changed at all from the previous day.

Yamanaka Inoichi was sitting at his daughter's bedside, his forehead resting on her left hand as he slept fitfully. Ino had not regained consciousness since her loss in the chuunin exams, although Tsunade had healed the damage to her arms in just one session. And even though the Slug Sannin had healed genjutsu maladies before, the sheer extent of the damage to Ino's mind was beyond her ability to repair.

The problem, as Tsunade saw it, was the entity that Ino had referred to as Konkon. Granted, Konkon had helped Ino bounce back from her rape somewhat, but in entirely the wrong way. In short, Ino hadn't really healed at all. Konkon had merely placed mental block upon mental block around the damaged area, building a fortress around the painful memories. There were a few cracks, designed to ensure that Ino never completely forgot what she'd experienced, and to help push her forward. In doing so, the girl had gradually absorbed more and more of Konkon's personality to stay afloat. But depending on Konkon so heavily had left Ino's own personality weak, and now it was completely unresponsive. There was nothing to stop Konkon from taking absolute control of Ino's mind and body.

Except that she apparently had no desire to.

The first time Inoichi had dared to enter Ino's mind, he'd been quickly and forcefully ejected. He'd only had time to catch a glimpse of Ino, still asleep, with her head lying in the lap of a woman that he first mistook for his late wife. Repeated attempts had finally gained him temporary admittance, but never for more than a few moments. For all her faults, Konkon was still determined to actually heal Ino, but at this vulnerable and impressionable stage, would allow no one to interact with Ino's mind for too long.

Still, Konkon was no medic-nin. Tsunade had told Inoichi, rather plainly, that Konkon could easily destroy Ino's fragile mind despite her good intentions. Consequently, Inoichi had never left Ino's side. He kept trying to communicate with Konkon, but she kept their conversations short and vague. Every time he thought he was making progress, she would say, "That's enough, Chi-san," and dismiss him.

Shizune had been present for each attempt as a precaution, and the only thing she found more overwhelming than Inoichi's devotion was Naruto's. The odd thing was that he hadn't come to see her in person yet, but Shizune had flushed out nearly a thousand Naruto clones, henged or otherwise, in little less than a month, all of whom had been trying to sneak up to Ino's room. To reward the boy's loyalty, Shizune occasionally took longer than necessary to destroy the clones, especially when they bribed her with sweets and foot massages.

However, Ino's condition did not change, and it was a very depressing scene to work in every day.

Sighing, Shizune performed her hourly check on the girl, jotting down her findings for Tsunade to look over later. She was completely aware of the three clones clinging to the windowsill, but pretended not to notice until she was done. "There's no change, Naruto-kun. As always."

One of the clones eased the window open, trying not to alert Inoichi. "Can't we just sit with her for a while?"

"Only family is allowed. Not even her teammates have gotten in."

"I stepped in to save her, didn't I? I'm closer than family!"

"Which is exactly why I haven't reported you. That, and I know you'd be judged unfairly." Shizune paused and frowned. "The moment there's a change, I'll let you know."

The clones seemed to agree. "Just stick your head out of the window; one of us will be here."

"That reminds me... where is the original Naruto?"

"Training," all three clones said at once, shooting each other noticeable glances. "Why?"

* * *

For all intents and purposes, the Forest of Death had been off limits to everyone in Konoha since the preliminary matches ended. This was a very odd thing, considering that no one in their right mind would venture into the place without excellent reason. The fences and numerous warning signs were generally enough to keep civilians away, and the forest's reputation alone did the same for most shinobi. Why the Sandaime had seen fit to post additional warnings was beyond most people... at first.

Then the ominous chakra pulses began.

The funny thing about chakra was that non-ninja generally never knew it existed. Even most ninja never actually saw chakra until they reached chuunin or higher, because to actually SEE chakra in most cases, there had to be an awful lot of it, and most ninja either couldn't or wouldn't bother with any jutsu that announced their presence to everyone nearby.

Demonic chakra was also a funny thing, in that pretty much EVERYONE knew about it. They might not know what it was when they sensed it, or they might mistake it for something else, but almost every human at least got a tingle up their spines when a demon unleashed its power. For example, no one that had been in Konoha at the time of the Kyuubi's attack doubted the fox's existence, for even if they hadn't seen it, they had all felt the beast's presence and power. Some people became violently ill, and others just got a very bad feeling, but they had all been touched by the Kyuubi's might, one way or another.

In short, if human chakra was represented by ripples in a pond, then demonic chakra was a tsunami and a hurricane all at once. It was that easy for people to sense, at least when it was let loose.

So the fact that not one, but three demon vessels were training in the forest had not gone unnoticed, even if no one but the Hokage and a select few ninja knew the details. The Sandaime had assured everyone that things were fine, that one of his former students was just taking certain measures to ensure the survival of Konoha. And everyone knew that Tsunade was back, so most people mistakenly assumed she was training many new apprentices.

The village council was not so trusting, of course. The Hokage had been forced to be a little more direct with them: he'd told them about Akatsuki and their goals. That particular meeting had not gone well, because the issue immediately changed to why Gaara hadn't been ordered to leave the village. The Sandaime was greatly disappointed to see that the question had come from one of his former teammates.

"Simply telling Gaara to leave the village would not help," the Sandaime had explained. "As you all know, the Sand is in possession of another demon vessel, and he is currently in the village as well. Asking or even forcing the Sand to remove him could easily spark a war, and we do not need to make any other enemies. Besides, thanks to this village's treatment of Naruto, Gaara is most likely the only demon vessel willing to protect it. If any amount of standard shinobi could hope to defeat Akatsuki, it would've been done already. Gaara's presence may draw them here, but his power is also the only hope of stopping them."

In the end, the Hokage had been forced to point out that Gaara's leaving would present a perfect opportunity for Naruto to exact revenge on a village that had abused and abandoned him. While fear of the Kyuubi had done nothing but cause Naruto pain, the Sandaime was not above using it to manipulate the council. Just the mention of Naruto or the demon was enough to summon a haunted look in the eyes of the elder members, reminding him of why it had been so important for Naruto to leave before they'd done something even more drastic.

For better or worse, everyone that had visited the Hokage Monument lately and seen Gaara's statues now knew that Naruto was the Kyuubi's demon vessel. Predictably, reactions were mixed. But a surprising amount of people had changed the way they thought of demon vessels in general, and Naruto and Gaara in particular. Not only did the statues connect Naruto to the legacy of the Yondaime in a more positive light, and imply that he and Kyuubi were separate but connected entities, but perhaps more importantly, they proved that Gaara was willing to inform the people of the truth, while the authorities hid it. Even though the villagers had accepted that secrecy was an essential part of their security, they did not appreciate being kept in the dark about something so major (especially those that had mistreated Naruto solely on the basis that he and Kyuubi were one and the same; after all, the fox had been sealed mere hours after Naruto's birth, so as far as some knew, the Kyuubi had simply been transformed into Naruto).

That, however, was no real excuse for Naruto's treatment by Konoha at large. The Sandaime had openly announced the Yondaime's wish that Naruto be treated as a hero. Of course, many members of the village council had worked hard to ensure that Naruto suffered nearly as much as he breathed. The only reason Gaara had not experienced the same once he came to Konoha was because, unlike Naruto, he was not above killing abusive villagers. It had only taken a few displays of this for the message to get across: Gaara would not tolerate attacks against him. Anyway, the Sandaime's hands had been tied: Gaara's defenses WERE automatic up to a point, so even if the boy didn't WANT to kill people, assuming they came at him with intent to harm, they were already dead. Of course, Gaara HAD wanted to kill people, and anyone that attacked him and managed to survive was usually crippled for life, so there was rarely a need to punish them further. So the Hokage had made no sort of enforcement concerning Gaara, only saying that he was essentially ANBU personnel, which quite obviously meant that attacking him was suicidal for anyone below jounin.

But it was much too late to take any sort of action on Naruto's behalf now. He was legally a Sand-nin, and Konoha had willingly given up any claim they had on him long ago. In the eyes of the council, he was Suna's problem now, and the sooner the chuunin exams ended, the sooner the demon fox would go back to the desert.

What they didn't know, and what the Sandaime had chosen not to tell them, was of the impending invasion. They would've immediately suspected Naruto if he had, and for once, they would be right to do so, and he didn't want that kind of prejudice gaining a foothold again. At the same time, they had approved nearly all of the increased security measures, on the basis that nearly no one knew anything of the mysterious Sound-nin.

So when the council had demanded an explanation about the powerful chakra pulses, the Sandaime had told them a small lie. He told them that Jiraiya was overseeing Gaara's training, preparing him to take on Akatsuki.

In truth, Gaara was the only demon vessel NOT currently in the forest, although Jiraiya was there, but mostly he was observing. The Toad Sannin had armed Naruto with the Rasengan (which hadn't taken long, since Naruto had instinctively reached the first stage, and had been using it for years). And Gaara WAS training, just in a different location.

Some of the council questioned why there were multiple, distinct chakra pulses. THAT had been hard to explain. Finally, the Sandaime had claimed he wasn't familiar with all of Jiraiya's methods (which was true), but that he trusted his former student's judgment. And despite Tsunade's attitude, the word of a Sannin still carried plenty of weight in Konoha.

* * *

Sasuke was exhausted. And he was actually willing to admit it, for once.

His training had been more like torture.

First, Haku had thrown lightning at him for an hour.

Then Kakashi had slammed Chidori after Chidori into Raiden.

Finally, Shizuka, who had quietly been collecting all of the excess electricity in the air, had released it at him in one huge burst.

Then they did it all again the next day.

Thankfully, that was all it took for both Sasuke and Raiden to get the hang of Raiton jutsu. Unfortunately, Kakashi wanted him to master Raiton jutsu, so they actually repeated the process for most of the month.

By the time they were done, Sasuke could produce two and half Chidori per day, five if he channeled them through Raiden instead. Even better, he could actually throw Chidori with the sword, which somewhat decreased the need to accurately aim with his Sharingan (although it was still a good idea, in order to guarantee a direct hit).

However, this progress did not entirely please Sasuke. He was very aware that Chidori was an assassination technique. He also knew what it took to gain the Mangekyou Sharingan, and that he would need it to defeat Itachi. There were only two people currently in his life whose deaths might unlock the legendary ability, and Sasuke couldn't see himself ever killing either one.

As Kakashi's adopted son, and having come from another village, Gaara had amassed a considerable library of jutsu that he shared on a regular basis. Sasuke would need that and more to develop his skills to the fullest.

And Hinata was... Hinata.

But Sasuke knew of no other way to gain the Mangekyou Sharingan, so he made himself a solemn promise. He would find another way, even if it meant making another friend that he would knowingly betray later. Briefly, he had even considered Haku or Shizuka, but they also had plenty to teach him, for now at least.

What Sasuke couldn't have known was that Gaara had personally developed his training regimen, and the that demon vessel had already carefully made arrangements for Sasuke to not only unlock the true legacy of his lost clan, but to do so in a way that ensured he would never misuse it.

* * *

The first week of Hinata's training had been devoted to sword practice. Up until then, she had mostly used it instinctively, trusting Hizashi to do the rest. Naturally, the way Rei used her sword was completely different, but actually learning the style would require time they didn't have, so Hinata focused on countering it for the most part.

The second week was reserved for clan jutsu... and curiously, Rei left that portion up to Hanabi. Hinata hadn't understood why, until the end of that first day, when her entire body was one big ache and Hanabi only had a mild headache. Whatever Hanabi had been training in, it approached Sharingan levels of prediction, because wherever Hinata had moved, Hanabi was already there delivering a precise strike. The second day had been better, and only then because Hinata stopped trying to attack and started waiting for Hanabi to move first. That limited her predictions somewhat, but Hinata was still very new at predicting moves herself, while Hanabi had clearly been at it for some time.

For the third week, Hinata practiced alone with her sword. She found that Hizashi was inspired by all of the "family time," and together they came up with new attacks, and sharpened the old ones.

Hinata swore off training for the fourth week, satisfied that she'd done all she could to prepare for the final round of the exams, and spent the remaining time getting to know her sister again. Frankly, she was amazed by how busy Hanabi had been lately, and how much responsibility Hanabi was taking on simply by being Naruto's guide.

The sisters talked of many things they wouldn't normally: Hinata's fears about Sasuke, Hanabi's feelings for Gaara, and both of their fears for Naruto.

* * *

Gaara had come to loathe Usako in a very short time, much in the way that he loathed Sasuke's more dedicated fangirls and prejudice against demon vessels. But he also accepted Usako's value as a sensei, and that she was Anko's friend, so he couldn't kill her.

Anyway, there was a very good chance he'd be mortally wounded in the attempt; Usako was THAT good.

The bulk of Gaara's training under Usako boiled down to the simple fact that he was COMPLETELY unprepared to face Kisame. Usako had proved this by doing something that had never really happened to Gaara before, even though it was a pretty obvious way to disarm him.

She'd gotten his sand wet.

Of course, Gaara's sand had gotten wet before, but only by blood, which it tended to absorb very quickly, and since there was always more of his sand than blood, it had never really gotten drenched in anything. Any opponent that might have known a useful Suiton jutsu had either run away or been killed too quickly to use it.

But Usako could drain a person of the water in their bodies within seconds, so with an underground spring as the site of their training, it was a simple matter to turn Gaara's sand into useless mush.

It wasn't that Gaara had no control over the resulting slush, it was that it was so very difficult to manipulate. Between his mastery of sand and Doton jutsu, he could get SOME reaction, but not enough to qualify as a useful technique in battle. And since Kisame was nearly five times more likely to use Suiton jutsu to complement Samehada... Gaara was in real trouble.

Usako had explained that it was pointless for Gaara to try and control the slush: they didn't have the time, and it would just waste valuable chakra that Gaara couldn't afford to lose when Samehada would probably be stealing it the whole time. Instead, they focused on how Gaara could keep his sand from getting wet, by quickly creating barriers and improving his speed.

Quite unexpectedly, Gaara ended up creating a sand jutsu that absorbed large amounts of moisture very quickly, stripping it of any chakra that might be powering it so that Gaara could then throw it back at the opponent. Even better, there were no hand seals involved, just the act of opening his mouth and sending chakra to his throat.

A month was not nearly enough time for Gaara to learn everything Usako could teach him, but it was all they had. This did not bother Gaara at all, however. They both knew that when Gaara did finally track down Kisame, Shukaku would probably be doing most of the fighting, anyway. Not just because Gaara couldn't handle Kisame, but because Shukaku would take the shark man apart in the most inhumane way possible, and for once, there would be no reason to hold back.

* * *

_Konoha - Forest of Death - August_

Naruto had used Kyuubi's chakra, and he'd also gotten so angry that he instinctively used the fox's chakra to strengthen his body. But actually fusing with the fox, at a time when he didn't especially need to, was still very new to him.

Currently, Naruto was perched high above the forest floor, hidden in the very green canopy that gave the area it's dim, foreboding lighting effect.

Currently, he was not really Naruto.

At least, that was how Kyojuu had suggested he approach this state. He and Kyuubi were separate, but when they worked as one, very little could defeat them.

Of course, that was the last thing Kyojuu had said before HE fused with the Gobi, and proceeded to beat Naruto (or whoever he was at the time) into the ground. This was doubly humiliating, because not only did Naruto have the strong demon and far more chakra, but Yugito had watched the whole thing. But she hadn't laughed, not even when it was her turn to flatten Naruto. She insisted on treating the whole thing as a learning experience, pointing out ALL of Naruto's flaws once they were done (and there were more than a few).

But in all fairness, Naruto had almost no idea what he was doing. All of his transformations up until that point were only partial, and with each he'd still looked mostly human. To suddenly find himself on all fours, covered with scarlet fur, and with tails waving about, was still very weird. Especially since the tails seemed to have minds of their own, and were not above smacking him on the head when he tripped over them.

He was getting better, though. Slowly.

The fusions were coming easier, and didn't hurt nearly as much as they once had. Naruto found that when he took the time to warn Kyuubi beforehand, the fusions were virtually painless. It truly was about working together, and while this was not Kyuubi's strong point, he did want his vessel to get stronger, and he also didn't want to get killed because of his own pride.

Naruto was still having trouble controlling the tails, though, and Kyojuu had warned him that would be very difficult. With no warning, one or more tails would fly out and uproot a tree, smash through a boulder, or send an enormous amount of Kyuubi's chakra pumping through Naruto and any jutsu he might be using at time, which almost always resulted in a huge explosion, and having to pick a new training area a couple of miles away.

It was very annoying, since both Kyojuu and Yugito seemed to have mastered their fusions already. But Yugito explained that this was because she only had to handle two tails, while Kyojuu's having died once somehow made his fusion easier (Naruto had been curious, but Yugito refused to say much else about it). And Naruto DID have the most powerful demon, so naturally it would be the hardest to fuse with properly.

Which was why Naruto had given up on trying to control his tails for the moment, and just let Kyuubi control them while Naruto moved everything else. It was the only way to really get anything done, and Kyuubi had been getting bored (sitting back and laughing at Naruto tripping over things had only been amusing for so long).

Then someone (and if Naruto ever remembered who, he would kill them) had suggested that they have a fusion battle, with every demon vessel for themselves. Somehow, though, Kyojuu and Yugito usually avoided attacking each other, which Naruto had noticed quickly, since they kept ganging up on him. He told himself that they were trying to force him to react to seemingly impossible odds.

Suddenly, the branch Naruto was sitting on was slashed apart by a black, flaming claw.

Cursing himself for not picking up Yugito's approach with his now huge ears, Naruto scrambled to find something to grab onto and halt his fall. Kyuubi saved him the trouble by wrapping their tails around the tree and swinging them around it, which brought them face to face with the black flame-covered feline that was Yugito's fused form.

But since Naruto had been so focused on not falling, there was no time to take advantage of his position. All he could really do was stare as

the cat vanished before his eyes, courtesy of her considerable genjutsu skills.

Then Naruto was struck hard from behind as an enormous white dog plowed into him. They tumbled all the way down the forest floor, clawing and biting, but Kyuubi managed to get the dog underneath them seconds before they hit the ground. Naruto immediately summoned his own flame like aura, hoping it would help him keep the dog pinned.

Of course, he'd forgotten about the dog's own tails, which grabbed his and yanked hard.

Naruto would've howled in pain, if the black cat hadn't returned in that moment and tackled him off of the dog, driving all of the air out of him as well. He was still a little dazed when the cat leaned down and playfully licked his cheek.

"Aw, Yugito!" Naruto groaned, pushing her head away.

"It was Nibi's idea; she thinks you're cute like this," Yugito replied happily, her voice slightly higher as it came from the cat.

"We better stop for now," the dog suggested, not sounding the least bit tired.

"You were winning!" Naruto protested.

The dog shrugged as it became Kyojuu again. "Yeah, but I promised Yorishiro we'd go running with Sakura and Akamaru, and she's really looking forward to it."

"Sakura?"

"No, Yori."

"Oh." Naruto blinked slowly as he reverted to his own human form. "Um, how is she? Sakura, I mean."

"Happy, for the most part. It's easier to lose a friend when you've got a new family to fall back on. How's Ino?"

"No change," Naruto sighed. A soft hand touched his shoulder, and he looked around to see Yugito smiling at him. Then he blushed and looked away. "Do we really have to be naked when we do this?!"

"We do if you don't want your clothes burned or ripped apart when you fuse," Kyojuu replied.

"Anyway, you don't have anything to be shy about from where I'm standing, Naruto-kun," Yugito assured him, giving his rear a quick pinch.

"HEY!!!" Naruto shouted, hopping away from her and hiding behind Kyojuu.

"Oh, that's right, hide behind the OTHER hot boy, because I'd never think to look there," Yugito giggled. "You're so silly, Naruto-kun."

"JUST PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!!!"

Five minutes later, everyone was clothed, and Yorishiro was racing around their feet, apparently nipping at tails that were no longer there.

"That is a weird dog," Naruto decided aloud.

"Hush, she's sweet," Yugito said, giving him a light kick to the ankle, and getting an agreeing bark from Yorishiro.

"Okay, what about when she peed on that giant bug?"

"She was keeping it from biting you!"

"And the dead tree?"

"Perfecting her aim."

"The rock?"

"She actually had to go then."

"The dead bird?"

Yugito paused, frowned, and shrugged. "I have NO idea. Kyojuu-kun?"

"She just wanted to see if you guys would notice," he answered with a chuckle.

"See? Weird!" Naruto said firmly, ducking as Yorishiro leaped at his head and missed, landing neatly in Yugito's arms.

"If she's the weird one, how come you let her lick your face right after she'd been licking herself?" Yugito challenged with a smirk.

"Wait, what?!" Naruto demanded. "I thought that was only with cats! When did this happen?!"

"Pretty much every day we were out here," Kyojuu murmured, trying not to laugh.

"SICK! GET BACK HERE, YOU GUYS!!!" Naruto yelled as Kyojuu and Yugito took off running.

* * *

"How long do I have to stay here, Konkon?" Ino whined, stomping her foot.

"Until you're better," was the immediate reply.

Ino huffed and turned away, grumbling as she shuffled through the tall grass. As far as mindscapes went, it was kind of nice, she supposed, but she'd been there for at least a week, with no one but Konkon for company. Being forced to spend that much time with her alter ego (which looked a lot like an older, curvier version of herself, much to her annoyance) had reminded Ino of exactly why she'd stopped listening to Konkon long ago.

Konkon had a habit of being motherly, and not in a good way. She would say things like, "Do this, because I said so." Of course, Ino had done that, too, but Konkon said it like Ino was obligated to listen to her. And unfortunately, that was true. She would be in far worse shape without Konkon's help, but it was still very, very boring there.

Sighing, Ino glanced over her shoulder, frowning as she watched Konkon sitting on a log. It didn't look like she was doing anything, but the last time Ino had interrupted by poking her, she'd gotten a ton of brief flashes of everything she'd missed since the preliminaries: basically, Naruto coming to visit her, and Sakura... not coming at all.

Even now, Ino wasn't sure what she'd been thinking, dragging Akamaru into her match with Sakura. The easiest way to piss off either Kiba or Sakura was to take a shot at their dog, and normally Ino never would've dared, even if she hadn't known about their secret marriage. But she had just wanted to win so badly, and prove herself to everyone. Sakura had understood that, once. But that had been before the match.

Growing weary of the silence, Ino trudged back through the grass and plopped down beside Konkon on the boulder, waiting to be noticed.

At once, Konkon stiffened, and Ino feared she'd made too much noise.

There was a slight pause, and then Konkon stopped staring into space and turned to look at Ino. Her eyes were wide in shock, and her mouth was hanging open slightly.

"What?!" Ino cried finally.

Konkon blinked. "It's just... you have to hear it for yourself." She slowly reached out and placed her hand over Ino's.

Immediately, Ino was lying in the hospital bed, and the first thing she heard was her father.

"How is it that you know my daughter?"

"I met her while she was on a mission in the Land of Waves," said a soft, almost feminine voice.

Ino couldn't help it, her body shot up like she'd been electrocuted. "HAKU!" she shouted, struggling as Shizune tried to lay her back down.

Inoichi turned in the doorway, relief and surprise warring for dominance on his face. Finally, he crossed the room and knelt beside the bed, taking Ino's hands in his. "Princess, are you-"

"Haku! HAKU!!!" Ino kept yelling, trying to peer around her father's head.

After a few seconds, the visitor stepped into the room.

Ino actually shoved Shizune, leapfrogged over her father, and tackled Haku barely two steps into the room. "YOU'RE ALIVE!" she sobbed, burying her face in his chest.

"Yes," Haku said quietly, gently embracing her. "It's good to see you again, Ino-san..."

Ino suddenly jerked back and stuck a finger in his face. "And you're a BOY!"

Blushing, Haku nodded. "Also true..."

Inoichi cleared his throat. "Ah, Princess, you really shouldn't be out of bed..."

"But it's HAKU!" Ino insisted, hugging the boy again.

"Yes, I heard that part, but-"

"He helped me," Ino said softly, giving her father a meaningful look.

Inoichi instantly backed off.

"Yamanaka-san," Haku said politely, "could I possibly speak to Ino for a few minutes? It has been a while, and there is something I have been needing to say to her for a long time."

"Of course," Inoichi agreed, moving to the door.

"There is no need to leave," Haku protested. "In fact, I think you should hear this as well."

Even more curious now, Inoichi came back as Haku helped Ino into bed, but she refused to do anything more but sit on the edge beside him.

"I should have done more for you," Haku said quietly, taking her hand in his. "It was only due to your mercy that I knew peace in our last moments together. And even though I can never repay what I owe you... I would like to be allowed to try."

Ino stared at him uncertainly. "What are you saying, Haku-chan?"

He smiled softly and bowed his head. "Please let me serve as your vassal, Ino-san. Let me be by your side until I can no longer be useful to you. Give my life an honorable purpose again."

"Um... what's a vassal?" Ino asked slowly.

"It basically means I will go where you go, and do whatever you ask of me. I am yours to command."

"So... you're like my boy toy?" Ino murmured with a wicked grin.

Haku blushed slightly and wisely kept his head down. "If that is what you wish..."

Inoichi felt like he should be worried, especially since Haku was apparently a boy that would most likely end up living with them. But Haku also looked so much like a girl that it was hard to suspect him of any wrongdoing.

Which of course meant that Haku was a ninja, Inoichi realized shortly. They'd have to discuss this with the Hokage.

"I have, of course, brought gifts to pay homage to the Yamanaka Clan," Haku added, drawing two scrolls out of his kimono. He presented one to Inoichi. "A gift for the clan head."

To say that Inoichi was impressed would be a huge understatement. He was looking at a list of what had to be ANBU-inspired jutsu. There was no clear indication of where they had come from, but that hardly mattered. If Haku could pull off any one of the techniques on the scroll, he would make a fine bodyguard for Ino.

"And let us not forget my new mistress," Haku continued, spreading the other scroll across his lap. It appeared to be blank, but once Haku pricked his finger with a senbon hidden in his sleeve (which only confirmed Inoichi's theory) and smeared his blood on the scroll, it belched out a tall column of smoke, revealing yet another scroll. This latest scroll, however, was easily taller than Haku, and thudded heavily against the side of the bed. Haku even had some trouble keeping it upright.

"What is that?" Ino asked with wide eyes.

"A gift from Yugito-san," Haku explained with some effort. "She picked it out especially for you."

"It looks like a summoning contract," Shizune commented nervously. It had been her experience that the larger the scroll, the harder the actual summon was to control. Rumor had it that Orochimaru's snake contract was as tall as the man himself.

"Well, whatever it is, I trust Yugito," Ino decided, carefully tugging the scroll open. She coughed as a great deal of dust floated out, waving it away with a hand. "That's weird... I don't know this language."

"I don't, either," Inoichi said, peering over her shoulder. "But there's a signature, and what looks like a paw print. It must be a very old contract, then."

"Maybe it's for cats," Ino mused, taking the senbon that Haku offered and pricking her finger. "I know Yugito likes those." She quickly signed her name on the scroll.

"You know how to summon?" Inoichi asked in surprise as Ino began the necessary hand seals.

"I've seen Asuma-sensei and Naruto do it," she replied, planting her hand on the bed. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

There was a small puff of smoke, and for some reason, Ino felt lightheaded, despite not having used much chakra. But she could feel something furry and warm beneath her hand, so she knew the jutsu had worked.

"Nnnnng... huh... what...? AAAAAHHH!!!" the summon shrieked, diving into Ino's lap and doing its best to hide.

Everyone in the room was shocked.

Ino was as well, but only because she recognized the voice. "Konkon?"

The small, golden-furred fox kit in her lap raised it's head to stare at her accusingly. "Ino, what the hell did you do to me?! I'm a damn FOX!"

"A very cute fox," Ino corrected, picking up Konkon and holding her at eye level. "Look at your precious little tail! Awww!"

"Dammit, I don't HAVE to look; it's stuck on my BUTT! Now undo whatever you did right this minute! No one's supposed to see me but you! FIX ME!!!"

"Careful, that phrase takes on a whole new meaning now," Ino teased.

Konkon growled (which sounded absolutely adorable) and started trying to attack Ino's face with her white-tipped tail, which was about as painful as rubbing against a pillow. "Grah! Traitor! Change me back NOW!"

"So cute!" Ino squealed, rubbing Konkon against her cheek. "I always wanted a pet!"

"Wait," Shizune said slowly. "That's not the same Konkon that...?"

"It must be," Inoichi sighed, rubbing his head. "How else could she know Ino?"

"But, that's not... she can't... how?!"

"You're asking me?" Inoichi snorted incredulously. "I'm just as lost as you are. But I think the first thing we should do is notify Tsunade. And you might want to get a message to the Hokage, as well."

Shizune nodded and hurried out of the room.

"So you... know this fox?" Haku asked uncertainly.

"She used to be a voice in my head," Ino answered absently.

"And I want to be that again!" Konkon whined. "Put me back! I've still got work to do!"

"Hold on." Inoichi placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Princess, how do you feel?"

"Um... fine. Why?" Ino asked curiously.

"Because you were unconscious for a month, then you spend five minutes with this Haku and all of your problems seem to be solving themselves. I was going to hire a caretaker to stay with you, since I've got a ton of missions waiting on me. We were also looking for a way to extract Konkon from your mind, at least temporarily. So leaving things as they are might actually be for the best. I will need some proof of Haku's identity, but beyond that..."

"The Hokage and Gaara will vouch for me, Yamanaka-san," Haku assured him at once. "I will guard your daughter with my life."

"Then hurry up and die so I can kill her!" Konkon growled, wincing as Ino dropped a noisy kiss on her head.

* * *

_Konoha - Ichiraku Ramen - August_

"Hey, Kyuubi," Naruto muttered inwardly, halfway through a bowl of miso ramen. "How come you don't have a summoning contract for foxes?"

"I don't play well with others," the fox replied. "Plus I kinda sorta, um, misplaced it a couple of centuries ago..."

"You lost it?" Naruto snorted.

"NO. Misplaced. That's what INTELLIGENT beings do."

Naruto snickered. "So you lost it... intelligently?"

"I'm intelligent enough to know how to rewire your body so that you have explosive diarrhea anytime you even smell ramen," Kyuubi replied smugly.

Naruto very nearly choked on his mouthful of ramen. "So, um, when's the last time you saw the contract?"

"Right around the time the greater demons held their tournament where I became their undisputed superior. Admittedly, I may have been a BIT distracted by my crushing, overwhelming victory, but I earned it."

"So for all you know, one of them swiped it while you were boasting?"

"It's not boasting if you actually did it. Then it's just stating a fact."

"Well, who was most likely suspect?" Naruto asked.

"Nibi," Kyuubi answered at once. "She was always the most clever. She was also a packrat of the worst kind, always collecting things: bodies, souls, all objects shiny and round. I wouldn't be surprised if she had all of our contracts stashed away somewhere, frankly."

"And you're okay with that?" Naruto murmured in surprise.

"You think I want some idiotic human being able to summon foxes? I've seen what you people do with that type of power, and the day I let some half-brained twit summon any of my kind is the day that-"

Naruto frowned at the sudden pause. "The day that what?"

"That BITCH!" Kyuubi howled in outrage, thrashing against his cage. "When I get my claws on that thieving cat, I'll-"

"Didn't you just say you'd rather she had it than a human?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"She DID have it, and she just GAVE it to a human, and now it'll never end! She probably even gave it to a damn clan!"

"Well, can you tell who has it now?"

There was a long pause.

"I suppose the cat has SOME taste," Kyuubi muttered grudgingly.

Naruto grinned. "She gave it to Ino, didn't she?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you ALMOST sound pleased."

"Shut up and eat your damn noodles, brat."

* * *

Tsunade frowned and massaged her temples as she glared across the desk at the two kunoichi in front of her. "Suppose you two tell me why you and your dogs were picked up at a crime scene that was clearly labeled as being under ANBU's jurisdiction? Because I know at least one of you knew better."

"We went for a walk," Inuzuka Hana said simply.

Sakura's lips twitched, as if she were trying not to laugh.

"Inside a hotel suite," Tsunade countered, arching an eyebrow.

"Everyone likes room service, even dogs."

"Do I really have to inform your clan head of this incident, Hana?" Tsunade sighed. "I don't think you'd like that very much."

"Go ahead," Hana replied, narrowing her eyes. "My mother will tell you the same thing I did. I know you've been away for a while, Tsunade-sama, but Inuzuka are as loyal to each other as they always were. Unlike ANBU, we consider the abduction of Sakura's sensei top priority, so excuse us if we stepped on some toes looking for leads. Considering the assault force that the first rescue team met with, I'm amazed you people aren't taking this more seriously."

"The 'assault force' was one ninja-"

"And since he took out three of our best jounin alone, and indicated that Itachi was his partner, don't you think that at least means he's one of the biggest threats to our village right now?"

"Yes, ONE of them," Tsunade snapped. "There are currently multiple threats to Konoha, and most of them probably just walked in through the front gate, thanks to the chuunin exams. So if we can't deal with them all in what you consider a timely manner, that's just too damn bad! In case you forgot, the Hokage is responsible for the safety of the entire village, and for all we know, Kisame could be long gone by now. And even if he is still here, chances are there would only be three ninja in all of Konoha able to stop him, anyway. If you had found him, you'd be dead, because neither of you is a match for Kakashi. Sakura, you especially should've realized that, since you're always worried about how strong Gaara is. Kakashi made him that way, and-"

"You don't understand, Tsunade-sama," Sakura interrupted with a frown. "No one does. All of you keep telling me to wait, and let others do their jobs. But what am I supposed to do? How is my team ever going to advance without Kurenai-sensei? Why shouldn't I look for her, when no one else seems to be doing it? Even if I don't stand a chance against the one who took her, I have to try. Wouldn't you have looked for your sensei if someone took him when you were a genin?"

"Yes, but you're missing the point. It's going to take everything we have to stop Kisame. Suppose your being there would make a difference. What if defeating him depends entirely on having just one more genin or chuunin to fight? But neither of you are there because he's already killed you! So stop being so stubborn and do something useful! Sakura, you should be using this time to work on chakra control, or did you forget who your opponent in the finals is? Hana, you should be helping her, since I know you're the one who taught her that jutsu she used in the preliminaries. Now get out of my sight."

Hana and Sakura both bowed, somewhat resentfully, before turning to the door.

"And one more thing. I don't care how good your noses are, you can't track someone who repeatedly uses Shunshin no Jutsu to get away. It's one of the first things they teach you in ANBU."

* * *

Death was a funny thing, so long as you weren't the one dying.

Kin's parents had died while she was very young. Orochimaru filled the void left by their passing, or at least he took over her life so that there was nothing but serving him.

Every outfit Zaku owned had "Death" written on it somewhere.

She'd always known his mouth would get him killed first.

When Orochimaru had given them the order to kill Temari, Kin had not died a little inside. By then, she'd figured out that Orochimaru only cared about himself and his plans. Everyone, Sound-nin and Sand-nin alike, were pawns to him, and he had no trouble sacrificing them to manipulate mre powerful pieces like Gaara. Still, Kin didn't want to do it. Temari was her friend... more like a sister, really.

But nobody failed Orochimaru twice. Usually they had no body at all when he got done with them. Kin was only still alive because of Naruto... and soon that wouldn't be enough, she knew.

Temari had been training alone, using her fan to club trees with. Dosu suggested killing her with sound, so as to avoid leaving any evidence.

Typically, Zaku had ignored him, preferring to do it directly.

Karasu had come out of the night without a sound, stabbing Zaku and Kin with poisoned kunai. They never even realized what happened until Kankurou told them later.

Dosu was curiously missing, and his betrayal stung worse because Kin had always thought it would be Zaku who turned on her.

"It's nothing personal," Kankurou said. "At least, it wasn't until you tried to kill Temari. Even under orders, you should've known I wouldn't have allowed it."

"Just kill us and be done with it!" Zaku growled.

"No. Sasori-sama seems to think Orochimaru would prefer a pair of live sacrifices."

Kin's last thought was of Naruto, and the heartbreaking knowledge that he would never know she hadn't chosen to abandon him.

* * *

To Kimimaro, it looked like how he'd always imagined Hell. But then, many enclosed spaces seemed like Hell to him.

Still, the illusion would have been relevant for many people. There was darkness, a certain foul odor, unbearable heat, and of course, a monster waiting to devour them.

Except the monster was more of a demon, and it was in no condition to do anything but sleep. Orochimaru had seen to that himself years ago.

But Orochimaru didn't seem bothered by any of the dungeon's features. He walked right up to the demon, placed his remaining hand upon its scaly hide, and began to absorb its power. He gave every impression of having done this before, and if the demon had any objections, it wasn't awake to voice them.

Kimimaro watched in fascination as the ruined, partially melted stump that had once been Orochimaru's left arm suddenly popped like a morbid bubble, spraying a violet fluid that sizzled as it hit the ground. An entirely new arm grew out of the stump within seconds. A moment later, after Orochimaru had wiped away the excess fluid, it was impossible to tell he'd ever been wounded.

The dungeon rumbled as the demon shifted slightly, and Kimimaro thought he saw two or three pairs of huge yellow eyes peering through the darkness, but they were gone entirely too fast for him to be sure.

If Orochimaru had heard any of that, he gave no sign. He was staring closely at his new arm, examining it for any flaws. Apparently satisfied, he turned back to the demon and dipped his head.

There was a disturbingly loud crunch, and though he could not see through his master's head, Kimimaro somehow knew that Orochimaru had just sank his teeth into the demon's scales. But the Snake Sannin was not chewing: he was drinking. Exactly what he was drinking became obvious as he briefly lifted his head and licked his lips, smearing black blood all over his mouth.

Kimimaro watched this for several minutes with no visible reaction. He was less surprised at what his master was doing, and more surprised that he alone had been trusted with such a great secret.

Finally, Orochimaru stood up straight and turned around. His abnormally long tongue was still lapping up the last bit of blood stained on his chin. Despite the fact that he was perfectly able, even with his tongue hanging out, he said nothing, merely walking past Kimimaro in silence.

Throwing one last lingering look at the demon, Kimimaro followed his master out of the dungeon, wincing slightly as a bright light washed over him.

They emerged back in the dingy underground workshop that had once been one of Orochimaru's many experiment labs. This particular one had never been discovered, and was almost in working order, save for several subjects that had either died or escaped somehow. The rest, Orochimaru had destroyed in a fit of rage over his now restored arm.

Kimimaro had no idea how they'd reached the dungeon. It was in no way connected to the lab, and Orochimaru had offered no explanation. Even as the young Wind Lord watched, the tunnel they'd just passed through vanished into thin air, as if it were never there.

"Is there something you would like to ask me, Kimimaro-kun?"

A bit startled by the abrupt question, and the almost affectionate tone in his master's voice, Kimimaro quickly lowered himself to one knee and bowed his head. "I would never dare to question you, Orochimaru-sama."

The Snake Sannin chuckled, reaching out to lightly caress Kimimaro's cheek. "You have helped me create a new and improved Sound Five. I think you have earned a question. Ask."

There were a million questions Kimimaro could've chosen from, but he knew his role, and asked the only one that truly mattered for one of the Sound Five.

"Who may I destroy for you, Orochimaru-sama?"

"No one for now, Kimimaro-kun. But very soon, I want you to find Sasuke... and break him. Show him the power of those who serve me... and then, make him need it. I will take care of the rest."

"And his teammates?"

"The desert rat is mine to kill. As for the girl, it would be a shame to waste such a rare gift, but if she interferes, kill her."

* * *

"Mmm... I think I want the chicken. What are you getting, Haku-chan?"

Shikamaru was trying not to stare across the table, but it was very difficult. First, Ino had miraculously been released from the hospital (as well as her coma). Then, she had actually been HAPPY to meet them at Chouji's favorite restaurant (the one with the grill in the table). Finally, she had shown up, not only with someone who was supposed to be dead, but with something that would probably be dead very soon if Ino didn't stop showing it off.

The fact was, foxes had not been popular animals in Konoha since the Kyuubi's attack. Most were killed on sight, just to be safe, and eventually they stopped coming near the village altogether. There was no law against owning or killing a fox, but depending on who caught you doing either, you might walk away completely unpunished, or with a hefty fine.

Ino knew all of this, just like the rest of them. Yet she seemed strangely proud of her golden fox kit, making a point to show it to all of them. Shikamaru had to admit that it was a beautiful animal, even if it did seem to be sulking. When Ino was done shoving it in their faces, she put the fox in her lap, occasionally feeding it bites of her meal.

Haku became an old issue very fast: Asuma knew plenty of people that had been thought dead, only to turn up weeks later with amazing survival stories. Chouji just smiled and passed Haku some spare ribs (a huge gesture of acceptance, since Chouji did NOT share food easily).

Shikamaru wasn't sure he liked how closely Haku was sitting to Ino, but that wasn't entirely Haku's fault. Asuma had taken the other side of the booth, since Chouji was next to Shikamaru. They'd only been expecting Ino, after all. But she hadn't minded, and practically ordered Haku to squeeze in with her. Haku had done so with a noticeable blush.

The conversation had gradually turned to training. Not surprisingly, Asuma suggested they all get back to it, though he was eyeing Ino warily as he said it. None of them were exactly depressed that they hadn't advanced, so it wasn't really a sore topic. Shikamaru had the back luck to get an exceptionally skilled opponent, Ino had to face her now former best friend, and Chouji got matched up against a hot girl. Those were pretty much impossible odds no matter how you looked at it.

"I'm going to be training with Haku-chan," Ino announced. She frowned briefly when the fox nipped her arm. "Okay, and Konkon, too! I want to reinvent my whole fighting style, and Haku-chan can give me all the attention I need, so we won't even slow the rest of you down."

"That's really nice of you, Haku-chan," Shikamaru said dryly.

Haku laughed nervously. "It is my honor to serve Ino-sama, of course..."

"Trust me, you do not want to get in the habit of calling her that," Shikamaru warned him in a loud whisper. "She'll never let you stop."

Ino threw a piece of chicken at him, which Konkon dove across the table to snap up.

There was a loud crash, and all six of them looked up to see a waiter staring at Konkon in obvious terror, an overturned tray of broken plates at his feet.

Everything in the restaurant seemed to stop for a moment.

Then kunai were flying at Konkon from five different directions, all of them deflected by ice mirrors that suddenly popped into existence around the booth.

Ino started to fly through hand seals for a summoning, but Haku shoved her into Asuma, who instantly scooped her up, looking for an exit. He didn't have to wait long, as Chouji picked up their table and THREW it through the nearest wall. Shikamaru subtly dropped an exploding tag on the grill in the table as he leaped over it, and soon the street was filled with exploded pieces of grill in the table and quite a few small fires, which helped cover their escape rather effectively.

"I had my first slab of spare ribs there," Chouji said mournfully as they ran.

"What the HELL is wrong with those people?!" Ino demanded.

"Did you forget this is Konoha?" Shikamaru grunted. "If we had a mascot, it'd be a dead fox, with its head cut off, cooked on a grill in the table."

"Did you have to say grill in the table?" Chouji moaned.

"I don't think the general public is ready for Konkon," Haku commented, barely stifling a laugh as the fox poked her head out of the front of his kimono.

"Konkon!" Ino scolded. "Why didn't you run to me?!"

"I went where it was safest," Konkon replied aloud, causing them all to come to an abrupt stop. "He reacted first. You just sat there with your mouth hanging open. You also brought me into a food place where they wanted to stab me!"

"The fox is talking," Chouji noted nervously.

"It's a summon," Shikamaru pointed out reasonably. "They all talk, I think."

"I am NOT a sum-" Konkon began, only for Ino to yank her out of Haku's kimono and slap a hand over her mouth.

"I think I'll go home now," Ino said quickly. "Konkon's had a big day. Come on, Haku-chan."

"Yes, Ino-sama." Haku quickly bowed to Shikamaru, Chouji, and Asuma, then sprinted after Ino, who was trying to stuff Konkon down her shirt with little success.

"Why does Ino like a guy who looks so much like a girl?" Chouji murmured.

"Maybe she actually does like girls," Shikamaru guessed.

"She likes Naruto."

"Well, I'm still working on that theory," Shikamaru grumbled, kicking at the dirt.

"Maybe she just likes foxes," Asuma stated. "Which is not a good thing in this village. You two go on home. I'm going to make sure Ino gets there safely as well." He quickly started after her, being sure to stay out of sight.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head.

Chouji's stomach rumbled in agreement. Or maybe it was just upset at missing out on all those spare ribs.

* * *

_Konoha - Training Area - August_

The Inuzuka were one of Konoha's more unique clans, and not just because of their appearance. Other clans worried about politics, social status, and how people perceived them. But the Inuzuka only concerned themselves with being strong and loyal. Their roles in Konoha were assured, whether they became trackers, doctors, dog trainers, or any other job that allowed them to use their canine skill set.

Sakura was still amazed at how easily she'd managed to fit into the clan. She would never be as powerful as Kiba, but both she and the clan were fine with that. Most female Inuzuka specialized in controlled strength, anyway, while the males were more about huge explosions of power. Kiba's mother Tsume was a rare exception, which had earned her the title of clan head, and the distinction of being one of the Sandaime's most trusted elite jounin.

Fortunately, Hana had little in common with her mother, and Sakura had greatly benefited from the difference. According to Tsunade, Sakura had the potential to become a great medic-nin, but only if she were willing to focus on people for her patients. If Tsunade had approached her a few years earlier, Sakura would've jumped at the chance to train under her. But the Inuzuka had taken her in and changed her life for the better. For Sakura to ignore her rapidly developing skills as a veterinarian would be the worst kind of betrayal. So she'd turned down Tsunade's offer, and instead approached Shizune, who gave her a crash course in human medicine. Sakura would never become a recognized field medic, but she knew enough to save Kiba and Akamaru in most cases, and that was enough for her.

Kiba, on the other hand, wasn't really a typical husband: he didn't care what Sakura did, so long as it made her happy. He trusted that she had sense enough not to do anything too stupid (she'd already proved that she was smarter than him). This was also reflected in their strength training: Sakura punched large logs to better focus her chakra-enhanced strength, while Kiba tackled trees at full speed, sometimes tearing right through them, but more often breaking something that Sakura would need to heal immediately. Although, now that Sakura knew Naruto would be her opponent in the finals, she was seriously considering tackling some trees herself.

Kiba preferred to act like he wasn't worried, but they both knew the truth. The truth was that Shino had forfeited his match with Naruto, not out of fear, but out of common sense. Naruto was that much more powerful than him, and trying to deny it would've gotten Shino seriously injured at best.

It wasn't even that they thought Naruto meant to hurt Sakura, but that he might not have a choice in the matter. Ninja did not typically learn very many or any attacks that weren't meant to cause considerable harm. And there was no way that the Kazekage had trained Naruto in a bunch of useless jutsu.

At the same time, Sakura refused to quit. She was an Inuzuka now, and she refused to reflect badly on the clan in any way. Even if she couldn't defeat Naruto, she was going to make him earn his victory. She couldn't expect Naruto to understand what it meant to fight for a clan. Not that it was his fault, but Sakura wasn't going to waste time trying to explain it.

Family ties and clan ties were different. Sakura had been in a family all her life, and it was nice enough. But there was so much more security in a clan: a constant feeling of support and belonging. Sakura never had an opportunity to feel alone or sad anymore. If the people didn't cheer her up, the dogs would, and there were always at least a couple of dogs in the mood to play.

No one treated her differently just because she hadn't been born into the clan. No one cared about her pink hair, wide forehead, or her sometimes quick temper. They just accepted what she was, and encouraged it. It was only natural that Sakura would want to return those feelings. She would do anything to help Kiba, Hana, and Tsume, anything for the clan. She owed them that much and more.

* * *

Temari knew she should be training, if only to keep up appearances. One did not slack off if they intended to fight Gaara.

But the mere thought of standing across a battlefield from her little brother was more painful than it was terrifying, which was in itself new and confusing. Gaara could kill her easily, although she knew he wouldn't. Still, he could hurt her very badly, and while Temari wanted to believe he wouldn't, she understood that sometimes, the village had to come first.

And she had only recently come back into his life, so how well did she really know what Gaara was capable of when pushed?

The only way to know for sure was to ask the people who knew him best. At least, that was the excuse Temari told herself, when she went to find Anko.

Anko had been moved over the past few days, from the Uchiha compound to the hospital, and then to the apartment she shared with Kakashi. Temari only knew that much through Ayame, who seemed to be a walking Gaara encyclopedia and obviously had a huge crush on him. Being Gaara's sister, Temari didn't have to do much to get Ayame to show her where Anko lived. It felt a little weird to be encouraging Gaara's only fangirl, but she was a good cook, had a steady job, and was one of the few people in Konoha that genuinely cared for Naruto. Gaara even seemed to have a certain fondness for her, as he went out of his way to thank her for the little things she did that were easy to miss.

As it turned out, Ayame delivered food to Anko every day since she'd been ill, so it was easy for Temari to tag along.

It was not easy, however, to see a woman that had once been so full of life merely laying there, spending the last days of her life under a powerful genjutsu that kept her asleep. Apparently Anko's pain had become so great recently that being conscious was no longer an option.

The food Ayame brought inevitably went to Kakashi, who was worn out from constantly renewing the genjutsu with his Sharingan. He did not seem aware of anything other than Anko's still form on the couch, and the food that Ayame placed on the coffee table.

Temari didn't know Anko well enough to think of her as a mother, but that didn't matter. She could see the pain in Gaara's eyes, and that was enough for Temari to wish that Anko would continue living. She didn't know if Gaara could just stand by and lose a second mother. For someone as unaccustomed to pain as he was, she didn't know if he could handle it without releasing Shukaku, no matter how in control he seemed.

On top of that, Temari had no idea how Gaara felt about their upcoming match. He hadn't said a word to anyone, had given no indication of if it even bothered him at all. Temari wanted to talk to him, but she could never convince herself to bring it up, fearing that Gaara would assume she was asking him to go easy on her, or even take a dive so she could advance. Her other brothers were no help, either: Naruto had his own little ongoing drama with Ino and Sakura, and Kankurou seemed to be getting more and more last minute orders, which might explain why he'd dropped out of the exams.

Strangely, Temari had finally been helped the most by the one person she would've never thought to approach for help. She'd been leaving Ichiraku Ramen with a frown on her face when she bumped into Hinata and Hanabi, who were laughing and poking each other playfully. They'd never looked more like sisters to her, which was a little weird, at least on Hanabi's part.

Hinata had asked what was wrong, and after Temari had explained her problem, Hanabi had laughed rather rudely.

"What are you, stupid?" the little girl had asked. "Gaara's full of love, because he rarely ever shares it. I'm not surprised most people can't see it, but I would've expected you to, at least."

Temari had felt pretty stupid, after that, but she'd also felt better, to the point where she treated Hanabi to a bowl of ramen.

Whatever Gaara was thinking, in the end, he was still her brother, and he still loved her. Nothing else mattered.

* * *

Ino's room seemed a lot emptier, now that Sakura had moved out. Of course, Sakura would've left anyway, what with her marrying Kiba and all, but this way had been more abrupt. Hana and a couple of her burly kinsmen had shown up mere hours after the preliminaries ended and carted off all of Sakura's belongings, according to Ino's father. With their keen noses, they had easily identified all of Sakura's things by scent alone. Now, even her scent had faded, according to Konkon (who still didn't enjoy being a fox, but was willing to admit there were some benefits).

Ino had not left her home, or her room, in some time. For one thing, she didn't feel like going out, and for another, she didn't need to, since Haku was providing everything she could possibly need. Mostly, she just wanted to be left alone, so Haku had to be content with bringing her meals up to her room and working her shifts in the flower shop.

When Ino was honest with herself, though, she readily accepted that Sakura was not her only problem. Konkon had been helping restore her mind somehow, but now that she was stuck in a fox, Ino had no idea where her head was on the road to recovery. Also, there was Konoha's reaction to Konkon, every other fox, and Naruto to consider. Ino could never recall Naruto being an outcast beyond the usual schoolyard bullying, but then she had never paid him all that much attention back then.

But there was another problem: Ino couldn't unsummon Konkon. They had tried everything, from Konkon running headfirst into walls to Ino poking her with a sharp stick several times. Both had assumed that Konkon's being dismissed would land her right back inside Ino's head. Nothing worked, though, and it was becoming clear that Konkon was stuck as a fox, and Ino was just going to have to find some other way to heal her fractured mind.

She was rapidly running out of hope, on the night that Naruto suddenly appeared at her window, holding a neatly wrapped black gift box with a violet ribbon tied around it. Ino briefly considered telling him to come back later, but Konkon got rid of that option when she hopped onto the windowsill and, in a surprisingly show of intelligence, somehow got the window open by herself. Naruto gave her a grateful pat on the head as he climbed in, and Konkon leapt lightly onto his shoulder, nuzzling his whiskered cheek. Ino wasn't sure if this sight should be considered cute or weird, since that was technically her, or part of her, being so mushy. But Naruto didn't seem to care, so she wasn't about to bring it up.

"Sorry I couldn't come over sooner," Naruto said. "I've been busy training."

Ino nodded. "I figured you were. Anyway, my life's been pretty random lately, so maybe that was for the best."

"I, uh, brought you a welcome home gift. Or a get well gift. Whichever you prefer." He shoved the box at her, looking a tiny bit nervous.

"Thanks," Ino said slowly, not sure what to expect. She quickly tore off the wrapping paper, eager to see what he'd gotten her. Her smile dimmed somewhat when she looked inside the box. "Pies? You got me pies?"

"They're not for eating," Naruto pointed out at once.

"Then what ARE they for?"

He shrugged uneasily. "You have a fox now. You'll need something non-lethal to throw back. And this way the villagers will be too embarrassed to report it."

Ino thought back to the incident at the restaurant with the grill in the table. A pie would've been nice to have back then. Naruto was clearly more thoughtful than he let on. "I think I'll get some use out of them. But I think I'll need about ten more boxes of these by tomorrow, if all the dirty looks I got last time I was out were any indicator. And since I can't unsummon Konkon..."

"Have you tried asking her to shape shift? Foxes are usually good at that."

Ino was about to call him crazy when there was a small poof from Naruto's shoulder. They both turned to see another Naruto sprawled facedown on the floor, only this one had a long ponytail that ended in a curious tuft of white hair, not unlike the way Konkon's paws and the tip of her tail were white.

"Why'd you choose a boy?" Ino asked incredulously. "Wait, why'd you choose Naruto?"

"I thought something big and stupid would be easier," Konkon groaned, lifting her head.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted.

"Okay, big, stupid, and sexy," Konkon amended.

This did not make Naruto feel better. He did NOT want another guy calling him sexy, even if the guy was technically either him, or Ino, or a fox that used to be Ino… sort of.

"This is just creepy," Ino muttered, shuddering. "Pick something else!"

"I am not a thing," Naruto grumbled.

"SomeONE else," Ino snapped.

Another poof, and this time Konkon assumed a form Ino was far more familiar with. It was the way Ino had always pictured her: tall, slender, and beautiful... or basically, an older version of Ino. For some reason, though, she was only wearing clouds, and then only around her naughty bits.

Naruto approved, if the drool was any indicator. Ino smacked him to get his attention. "Hey! No drooling over future me yet!"

"But she's here in the present!" Naruto protested.

"Let him look," Konkon purred, bending over so Naruto could get a better look at her cleavage.

"NO." Ino stomped forward and, without thinking, prodded Konkon's exposed navel with a finger.

Konkon's eyes bulged and swirled over, and a poof later, she was lying on her back as a fox again, twitching slightly.

"This has been... educational," Naruto said after a moment, clearing his throat.

"Yeah, now I know never to leave you two alone," Ino muttered, grabbing Konkon by the tail and shaking her a bit.

"If you're that worried about it," Naruto began with a sly look, "you could always show me the present you undressed. That way-"

Ino threw a shoe at him. "Nice try."

"That's not a no!" Naruto said happily as he moved to the window. The matching shoe clipped his ear on the way out. "OW!"

Smiling, Ino shook her head and started to close the window. "I wonder how Konkon got those perverted thoughts in her head, anyway." She looked down just in time to see Naruto arm in arm with two gorgeous, naked, twin versions of Ino... and they weren't wearing clouds. Growling, Ino grabbed two more shoes and threw them, destroying the clones on contact. "NARUTO!!!" she screeched.

Naruto forgot all about mourning the loss of his naked twins and took off running, ducking as another pair of shoes sailed over his head.

"Well, look at it this way," Konkon suggested as Ino slammed the window shut. "At least he wants to see YOU naked, and no one else. Really, it's a compliment..."

"That doesn't mean I want YOU to show him me naked! I'll be the one to decide if he gets to see that, got it?!"

"So long as you're considering it," Konkon replied, grinning when Ino turned bright red.

**End of Chapter 29.**

* * *

Next Chapter: The finals. Another special guest exam proctor! Hinata reveals her new sword technique. Gaara discovers a dark secret about Temari. Also, the other matches. Oh, and the INVASION begins, with even more special guests… including some who are/were dead until someone summoned them.

Endnotes:

Chi-san: A little word pun, as it doubles for a shortened version of both Inoichi's name, and of "father" (Chichi).

I don't know the name of the restaurant with the grill in the table. (I've been to a couple, but only the chefs get to cook the food, not you...) Anyway, it appears in the anime, I assume Chouji eats there all the time.

In case you couldn't tell, Konkon was borrowing some of Naruto's signature jutsu. I trust I don't have to name them?


	30. The Breaking of Konoha, Part 1

The Nature of Love

**WARNING**: There are some disturbing flashbacks to Naruto's past in Konoha in this chapter.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 30: The Breaking of Konoha, Part 1**

* * *

_Konoha - Chuunin Exam Finals (Stadium) - August_

"I'm getting too old for this," Jiraiya muttered to himself as he glanced up at the cheering crowd. One might think he would've learned from Tsunade's getting roped into being an exam proctor. But he hadn't actually thought that his former sensei would do the same to him. After all, Tsunade wasn't the author of the Sandaime's favorite guilty pleasure. But after THIS stunt, the old man was definitely going to die in Jiraiya's next book, trampled to death by a horde of rampaging fangirls. Yes, that would work...

Shaking his head slightly, Jiraiya turned to the group of chuunin hopefuls gathered in front of him. All of them had shown up on time: Inuzuka Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba, Uchiha Hinata, Uchiha Sasuke, Gaara, Subaku no Kyuubi (it was still hard for him to think of the boy as anything but Naruto), Temari, and Kinuta Dosu. Based on his observations, the only ones even close to being ready for promotions were Gaara and Sakura. Gaara was a born leader, and his lack of people skills only made him better at it. Nobody had time to put up with crap when each second could mean the difference between life and death. Sakura was smart, and she could quickly adapt. Sure, she had a temper, but that only seemed to sharpen her focus when it counted.

Still, Gaara's whole squad had made it this far, although they weren't exactly normal genin. And if they hadn't all made it, Jiraiya would've recommended that they were all kicked out of ANBU. But there was no need for that, as they were all either smart enough (Hinata) or strong enough (Gaara and Sasuke) to get by their opponents so far.

"Listen up, brats," Jiraiya announced, getting their attention. "You know why you're here, so I won't bore you with the details. You fight, and I'll interfere when I see fit. First match is Uchiha Hinata and Kinuta Dosu. Everybody else off the field."

Dosu immediately shuffled past Jiraiya to his starting position, both of them exchanging suspicious glances as they passed each other. Clearly, Dosu was smarter than his loudmouth teammates. Jiraiya could tell at a glance that Dosu's lazy stance was an advanced way of conserving all his energy for fighting.

Hinata didn't seem worried, though. She looked well rested and determined, though nearly all the other competitors at least appeared to be pretty tense. Oddly enough, everyone wished Hinata luck as they left the field, even Temari and Naruto. It was one thing for her to be well-liked among the Leaf rookies, but even her supposed enemies liked her.

"You both ready?" Jiraiya asked.

Dosu just leaned forward slightly, which Jiraiya took as a nod.

Hinata actually did nod, drawing her blue katana and holding it at her side, pointing down.

"Begin."

Dosu lurched forward at once, heading straight for Jiraiya, who shot him a warning glare.

Hinata had little choice but to follow Dosu's example. She knew Jiraiya could defend himself, but she also didn't want to be accused of not trying to assist him, especially as a member of Gaara's squad.

But it was not Dosu's intent to attack Jiraiya, but to trick Hinata into doing so. A few feet away from the Toad Sannin, he lightly flicked his finger against the gauntlet on his wrist, grinning as he directed the resulting sound waves straight at Hinata. She would never know what hit her, and in a moment she'd be so confused that she wouldn't be able to tell Dosu from Jiraiya.

Hinata had seen Dosu's tricks against Lee, though, and she was ready. She slid to a stop at once, her eyes narrowing, and then did something completely unexpected. She lifted her sword over her head with one hand, and with a shout of "Avenging Arrow!" sent it flying straight at Dosu, slicing through his sound waves and scattering them in all directions.

Cursing, Dosu dove out of the way as the blue blur struck the spot where he'd been standing seconds before, then shot straight back to Hinata, who caught it easily. "Let's see how you do with close combat!" Dosu snarled, rushing at her. He assumed that Hinata had chosen not to fight Neji, not because Neji was so much stronger, but because she was so much weaker at taijutsu. And even if she knew a few sword tricks, he only had to block her first hit with his gauntlet, which would result in all the sound waves he needed to finish her.

Again, Hinata was ready for him, and just as Dosu had predicted, she raised her sword and charged.

What he hadn't predicted was that her speed would suddenly increase to a point where he couldn't really follow her, a true sign of her Hyuuga heritage. The next thing he knew, Hinata had passed him, and there was a slight, burning sensation in his chest. He looked down, shocked to see a long rip in his clothes, from the top of his chest all the way down to his thigh. He was still trying to figure out what had happened when he heard Hinata's voice behind him.

"Hanabi..."

Dosu whirled around, expecting another attack, but Hinata was just sheathing her sword.

The moment the hilt clicked against the sheath, the rip in Dosu's clothes detonated in a powerful explosion, tossing the Sound-nin several feet away.

"...Bakuha," (Blast) Hinata whispered. She bowed respectfully to Jiraiya, who smirked, then walked off the field.

"Winner: Uchiha Hinata!" Jiraiya shouted, grinning at Dosu's still form, which twitched slightly. "Oh, and someone come and clean that up..."

Up in the Hyuuga section of the stadium, Rei turned to Hanabi. "Now why do I get the feeling that attack was named for you?"

"It's coincidence, I'm sure," Hanabi muttered, though there was a tiny smile on her lips.

"Of course it was named for her. Anything that explodes that quickly, giving a person no chance to escape, should be," Neji grumbled.

"You shut up," Hanabi murmured, far too pleased to do more than poke him in the side.

* * *

If ANBU had one major fault, it was that they never updated the gear. So anyone that had ever been in ANBU could, for example, pass for being on active duty, even if they'd resigned.

Or left the village entirely.

And killed most of a clan on the way out.

Kurenai was now very aware of this fact. She was again disguised as Princess Ruki, and Itachi was standing right behind her in full ANBU gear, complete with a tiger mask that she suspected he'd taken off some pour soul that same morning.

Kisame had once again dressed as one of Ruki's red-cloaked bodyguards, as had the rest of Akatsuki. No one had bothered to ask why she was short a bodyguard: Konoha had a healthy respect for the Fire Lord, and did not question his actions without excellent reason beforehand, so that he would continue to extend the same courtesy to the village.

Kurenai wanted very much to scream and shout that she was here, right HERE, surrounded by a bunch of S-class missing-nin peacefully watching the chuunin exam finals. But she couldn't, for two very important reasons. First, she had no doubt that Deidara alone could kill everyone in the stadium in an instant. Second, she had learned more from Itachi and Kisame than she had ever learned from... well, anyone. And that was when they weren't even trying to teach her. They weren't successful just because they were murdering butchers, they were also clever as the day was long, Itachi especially.

It was hard for Kurenai to admit this, but the facts were there, staring her in the face. All of her life, she'd trained to become a genjutsu mistress. And for all of her skill, Itachi could just easily walk up, pat her on the head, and get away with it, because he was that much better. If she got away from him now, fine, but they would both always know that she was nothing compared to him, and she would always remain so... if she left.

If she stayed... there was no telling how far she could climb. And all she had to do was knowingly betray her village, assuming Kisame's reason for keeping her alive held out.

"Prove yourself," Itachi said softly from behind her, as if reading her mind, "and you may become more than a mere figurehead for Akatsuki."

Kurenai wasn't stupid, she knew that meant that she might only become an agent of Akatsuki, and not an actual member. But even that was better than the obviously outmatched jounin that she was currently.

She had already somewhat made her choice when at her side, Deidara shot her a flirty grin, but it helped. A little.

* * *

"Temari," said a voice in her ear.

The blond Sand kunoichi jumped slightly as Gaara appeared behind her. "Oh! H-Hi, Gaara..."

"Our match is next," he reminded her, as if she hadn't just been panicking over that.

"Really? I'd almost forgotten," she lied, laughing nervously.

"Temari," he said again, softer this time.

"Y-Yes, Gaara?" she squeaked.

He reached out and gently took her hand. "I love you."

Her face fell. "Why would you tell me that now, of all times? This is hard enough already!"

"Because I want you to understand why we must do this," he replied. "I am your brother, and it is my duty to protect you... unless you have reached the point where you can sufficiently protect yourself. If you can show me that in our match, then I will know that I don't have to worry about you. If you cannot, well... that is just another reason to keep you near me."

"Gaara," Temari whispered with tears in her eyes.

"It is time," Gaara said, noticing that Jiraiya was waving to them.

Temari nodded and followed him down to the field, making no attempt to remove her hand from his. This got more than a few odd looks from those present that were unaware of their being siblings, but neither one cared.

"Don't hold back," Gaara said right before he released Temari's hand and moved a few feet away from her. "I need to see how far you've come."

"What about you?" Temari asked.

Gaara almost smiled, though not in a way that was insulting. "I'll be fine."

"Ready?" Jiraiya asked, immediately getting nods from both. "Begin."

Temari pulled out her fan, but the only move Gaara made was to uncork his gourd. No sand came out, though, so Temari assumed that Gaara was giving her the first attack. "Are you being a gentleman, or just going easy on me?" she demanded with a smile.

This time Gaara did smile, but only a little, and he remained silent.

"Kamaitachi no Jutsu!" Temari shouted, fully opening her fan and sending a powerful wave of wind at her brother.

Sand instantly sprang out of Gaara's gourd, forming a wide, protective wall in front of him that withstood the attack with ease.

Frowning, Temari swung her fan again, this time waving it multiple times for an even more powerful, more widespread attack. "Daikamaitachi no Jutsu!" (Great Cutting Whirlwind Technique)

Gaara merely reinforced the wall with more sand. "You must have more, Temari. Show me." With a slight gesture from Gaara, the wall collapsed and formed a large hand of sand, which raced towards Temari.

Gritting her teeth, Temari's eyes flashed blue for a moment as she snapped her fan shut and slammed it hard against the ground. "Karakkaze!" she yelled. (Cold, Strong, Dry Wind) Blue vapor began to seep rapidly from the ground, coating both Temari and her fan in a shimmering aura. With a loud battle cry, Temari opened her fan and swung it at the approaching sand hand, instantly freezing the sand. She smirked as the sand hand broke apart into large chunks of ice.

Gaara frowned when he noticed that the sand was no longer responding to his commands. Whatever Temari had done made that portion of sand useless to him. He thought back to Usako's lessons, and wondered if Temari had somehow disabled the chakra in the sand, or if the sand itself just lost all power when frozen. He'd have to look into that later. For now, however, he decided to test the limits of Temari's newfound power.

Temari tensed up as the ground began to shake beneath her feet. She waited for an attack, but it never came. Instead, four tall, black pillars burst from the earth near Gaara, rising high into the sky. They stopped growing without warning, and just when Temari was considering slicing them to pieces with a well-aimed gust of wind, the pillars collapsed on themselves, filling the air with a great deal of strange, glossy dust. Temari went with her first instinct, which was to blow the dust away from her with a single wave of her fan.

That should've solved the problem, but the dust kept coming, so Temari kept blowing it away. After several minutes she finally realized what the problem was. It wasn't that the dust wasn't going away, but that more and more of it was filling the air. She looked to the source, and found that Gaara had been grinding down the pillars, not only making more dust, but an enormous amount of black sand, which was swirling around his feet in a dark whirlpool.

Deciding it was best not to give Gaara any more time to plan his next move, Temari swung her fan hard, sending freezing winds rushing straight at the demon vessel.

Taking a deep breath, Gaara leaned forward and blew a long stream of black sand from his mouth. Instead of landing on the ground, though, the sand quickly joined with the dust already in the air, forming a large, spinning vortex of black sand in front of Gaara.

Temari's winds hit the vortex with such force that she expected it to be blown apart. So she was greatly surprised when her winds seemed to die down, and the vortex remained, although it was spinning a bit faster now. In fact, she was so busy studying the vortex that Temari nearly missed the fact that just beyond it, Gaara was perfectly capable of attacking her in the meantime. But the sudden hush that fell over the crowd grabbed her attention, and when she saw what had distracted them so, she wondered how she could've ever missed it herself.

Slowly rising up behind her brother was a colossal Gaara clone composed of the black sand. So far, only the upper half of its body had been created, but that was clearly all that Gaara needed. Moving surprisingly fast for a creation that size, the giant clone swung its left arm forward, sending a spray of sand shuriken flying at Temari.

Temari started to raise her fan, then thought better of it and dodged out of the way. She didn't want to send the shuriken flying back, out of fear that the vortex might catch them and hurl them right back at her. Gaara had definitely improved his defenses over the years; it had never occurred to anyone in Suna that Gaara might be able to make his own sand, much less vary the type of sand he used.

Gaara was now staring at her with a calm expression, but the clone behind him was still very much active as its arm became a long tendril of black sand, which swung forward with frightening speed.

It was only due to the boost that Karakkaze's presence gave all of Temari's abilities that she was able to dive aside, and even then she felt the warm, gritty sand scrape against her ankle as it just missed her. She was determined to do better than this, no matter how much of an advantage Gaara had. The only problem was that Karakkaze was easily excited, so if Temari pulled out all the stops, there was a very real chance that she could seriously hurt herself or Gaara in the process.

But if Gaara really needed to see her best, how could she give him anything less?

Biting her thumb, Temari smeared blood on her neck, never taking her eyes off of Gaara's clone as Kamatari popped into existence, his furry body wrapped around her neck.

"So you're getting serious now?" Kamatari asked, yawning slightly. He raised his head, frowning at the giant that loomed before them. "I'm guessing the big one's mine?"

"We'll take it together," Temari corrected.

"Ah. You're using her again, I see. Well, try not to lose control this time. I might not have enough power left to stop you two."

"I'll be careful," Temari promised. "You just make sure you give it your all. Nothing less than that can take Gaara down."

"Just remember, you asked for this," Kamatari warned her as he took to the air. Twin sickles appeared in his paws, and with them he tore through the air, unleashing his power into the world in the form of a barrage of enormous, glowing, curved blades.

Temari was remarkably calm, considering that every single one of Kamatari's blades was aimed straight down, at the spot she was currently standing in. She didn't even look up as she raised her fan, having complete trust in the weasel, her wind spirt, and herself. Raising her voice, Temari shouted, "Gufuu no Jutsu!" as she swung her fan in a circular motion over her head.

A cyclone rose up around Temari's body, shielding her from attack and catching each of Kamatari's blades. As each blade was caught in the swirling winds, it was forcefully compressed, its speed decreasing to match that of the cyclone. Eventually there was no difference between the two attacks: they had become a single, towering tornado, lurching wildly from side to side, and barely able to contain the incredible forces locked within.

Then Temari brought her fan down in a strong swipe, and the tornado's base jerked up, leaving the ground and sending the entire attack barreling towards Gaara like an enormous drill.

Despite his calm expression, Gaara obviously didn't want to get hit by the attack. In addition to the vortex, and commanding the giant sand clone to move in front of him, Gaara used sand from his gourd to construct a miniature statue of Shukaku (miniature when compared to Shukaku's actual size; the statue was actually about ten feet tall).

Many of the spectators thought Gaara was being a little too cautious. After all, to reach Gaara, the tornado would have to pierce through three separate defenses (and only Gaara realized just how powerful the last was, and how much chakra it had cost him).

Their opinions changed, however, when the tornado tore through the sand vortex without even slowing down. Even as the vortex disintegrated, it absorbed as much of the tornado's chakra as it could.

The giant sand clone had a little more success: instead of just standing there, it stretched out its arms and caught the tornado in a kind of embrace, pressuring it from the front as well as the sides.

This bought it maybe three seconds, and then the tornado exploded from the sand clone's back, causing the entire construct to collapse on itself. And even then, the falling black sand did little to decrease the tornado's awesome power.

The final and greatest defense lay straight ahead, however, and a few feet beyond it, Gaara himself.

The Shukaku statue did not budge an inch when the tornado struck it, nor did there seem to be any sort of give in the statue itself.

For almost an entire minute, the tornado looked as if it would proceed no further.

Then a tiny crack appeared in the statue, and Gaara closed his eyes in a resigned sort of way.

Seconds later, the statue was torn apart, huge chunks of super-hardened sand flying in all directions. But that final victory had come at great cost, for all of Kamatari's power had been drained to pierce through the statue, and all that remained of Temari's was a cool breeze that did nothing more than toss Gaara's red hair slightly as it reached him.

Gaara didn't have time to enjoy it, because he was one of the few people present that knew the battle was almost over, but that he wasn't out of danger yet. He had barely begun to turn his head when Temari appeared behind him, her blue aura flaring wildly as she twisted her body in mid-air, swinging her fan with such speed that it was almost invisible to the naked eye.

Gaara did not see the fan. He only saw the expression on Temari's face, because it was completely unlike her. Her face was frozen in a fearsome snarl, her eyes wide with a lust for destruction.

Then the fan collided with his head, and with a vicious crack, Gaara was sent flying the length of the field, crashing into the wall on the other side.

There was complete silence as the crowd finally caught up. Temari's huge attack had failed, but she had used that as a cover to sneak up behind Gaara and attack at close range.

Jiraiya frowned as he watched the final moments of the match. Temari had virtually no chakra or strength left. She was being held up and moved entirely by her wind spirit's power. For all the control Temari had, she might as well have been unconscious. But Jiraiya could tell that she wasn't. Tears began to leak from eyes as she realized what she'd just done.

That was when the cheers began. Thankfully, it wasn't the entire crowd, but it was enough to turn Jiraiya's stomach in disgust. That people could still hate so blindly, even against a demon that had done them no wrong... it made him wonder why he and Tsunade had ever come back to Konoha.

Temari's fan slipped out of her hand, even as the blue aura faded. "Gaara," she whispered, falling to her knees and lowering her head. "I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't mean to-"

"Ouch."

Temari froze, her heart skipping a beat as she became aware of something other than her tears falling to the ground every few seconds. It almost looked like sand... crumbling sand, from...

Her head snapped up, only to find Gaara standing over her. There was a large crack in his cheek, and as she watched, a large portion of it fell away, landing at his feet.

"I take it you were serious with that last attack," Gaara said quietly.

Fresh tears sprang from Temari's eyes. "G-Gaara... I-I'm so sor-"

Gaara gently placed a finger against her lips, silencing her. "I do believe, that under certain circumstances, that blow would've caved in my skull, or taken my head from my shoulders completely." He closed his eyes, sighing. "You were the last Suna assassin. The one that was meant to truly end me."

Temari jerked her head away from him. "I was never going to-!"

"I know," Gaara interrupted with a pained smile. "But the mere fact that you, of all people, were trained for this task. It hurts."

Temari's face fell, and Gaara did not have the heart to tell her that only his Suna no Yoroi (Armour of Sand) had saved him from serious harm. He was still amazed at how close she'd come to ending him. She'd gotten him to use up so much chakra so quickly, while doing the same herself. She'd almost guaranteed that one or both of them would've died.

"I suppose this means you have grown beyond my ability to protect you as well, onee-san," Gaara murmured, gently cupping her cheek with his hand. "You and Kankurou make me very proud to share your blood."

Temari vaguely heard Jiraiya announcing Gaara as the winner, but she didn't really care. For a moment... she'd feared, no, known... that her little brother was dead, and that she had killed him. It was enough to make her want to put down her fan forever. But she couldn't now. Gaara had just recognized that she was strong enough to not need his protection. She couldn't exactly discard the weapon that had made that possible.

Even if it had been designed to kill Gaara.

* * *

"I still can't believe you guys got seats right below the Hokage's box!" Ino gushed, cuddling Konkon in her lap.

Yugito shrugged. "Saru-jiji just gave them to us at the last minute. It's just lucky I assumed that Haku-kun would be bringing a guest, or we wouldn't have a seat for you."

"Oh, I could've sat in Haku-chan's lap if it came to that," Ino assured her with a grin. "He agreed to do whatever I say, so..."

Kyojuu leaned over and prodded Haku in the shoulder. "I don't know much about girls, but I got a feeling that was a bad move..."

Haku was about to respond when Ino kicked off her sandals and stretched her legs across his lap.

"Would you mind giving me a foot massage, Haku-chan?" Ino asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Of course not, Ino-sama," Haku replied at once, carefully taking one of her feet into his hands.

Kyojuu just shook his head and tried not to be too obvious about snickering.

"Quiet down," Yugito murmured. "Naruto-kun and Sakura are up next."

* * *

"I am so stupid," Naruto muttered as he watched Sakura and Kiba talk quietly on the other side of the waiting area, while Akamaru rested in her lap.

"This is news to you?" Meg asked, poking her head out of his collar.

Naruto didn't even give her a glance. He was too busy cursing his stupidity.

He'd had every opportunity to spy on Sakura, find out what she'd learned, how she preferred to fight. But he had taken none of them. Why?

Because even if Sakura was no longer his first crush, she was still a close friend, one that was now married to yet another close friend in Kiba. He didn't want to fight her, and he was pretty sure she felt the same way, because they'd been avoiding each other ever since the preliminaries ended.

At first, Naruto had thought it was just their differing opinions on Ino, but now he knew it went beyond that. Sakura didn't want to be reminded that she'd have to fight against a friend, either.

Naruto's dilemma was bit more complicated than Sakura's, though. Assuming they did go through with this, he didn't want to hurt her too much, but he also didn't want to insult her by not taking her seriously. Yet he couldn't take her too seriously, because he needed to save most of his chakra for whatever might happen during the invasion.

He wasn't QUITE sure how he'd explain that to Sakura without everyone else overhearing, though. His first thought had been Akamaru, but Naruto hadn't had a chance to get near the dog, since Akamaru was always with either Kiba or Sakura. His only real hope now was Meg and her sisters, but he had no guarantee that Sakura wouldn't instantly attack an unfamiliar animal in the middle of a fight.

As Gaara and Temari started to leave the field together, Naruto quickly and quietly bit his thumb and smeared blood on the side of his neck that Meg wasn't clinging to. A second later, Seikon peeked over his collar, her eyes scanning the area. "What is it you would like my assistance with, Naruto-kun?" Seikon asked softly.

"I need you to get a message to Kiba and Sakura... but I don't want you to be seen by anyone else, if you can help it. I would've asked Shiden, since she's faster, but you're more dependable. Think you can do it?"

"I think my rate of success would be about the same as Meg's," Seikon replied after a moment. "Why not ask her?"

Naruto shook his head. "I need one of you with me, to remind me when and where to hold back. Meg knows me best, so that's her job."

Seikon nodded. "Very well. I will do what I can. Do not end the fight until I signal you."

Sighing in relief, Naruto stroked Seikon's head with a finger. "I knew I could count on you, Seikon. Thanks."

"Your companion is quite impressive," said a voice behind him.

Naruto glanced over his shoulder, somewhat surprised to see the same ANBU that he'd first seen in Anko's hospital room, and then in the exams when she'd been the proctor for the second stage. He nearly asked how she'd snuck up on him, but then realized two things: first, she was ANBU, and second, she smelled like clean water, so even if he had picked up her scent, he would've just assumed one of the competitors had gotten a drink. "Uh, thanks, I guess," he finally said.

She stared down at him a moment longer, then glanced over at Sakura, who was trying not to be obvious about glancing worriedly at Naruto. "Akamaru looks thirsty. Perhaps you should take him some water."

Naruto frowned at her. "I have a match-"

The ANBU instantly produced an empty bowl. "I could take it to him on your behalf."

Naruto was about to refuse again, but Seikon bit his arm to shut him up, then dove into the bowl. Before he could ask what she was doing, the ANBU produced a small flask and poured some water into the bowl. Instead of complaining, though, Seikon merely seemed to melt into the water, her body becoming transparent.

"I will make sure your message is delivered," the ANBU said, bowing slightly before moving towards Kiba and Akamaru. She nodded politely as she passed Sakura, who gave her a curious look before moving to stand beside Naruto.

Sakura bit her lip nervously, clearly wanting to say something, but Naruto beat her to it.

"You're not fighting with Akamaru this time?"

She sighed in relief, glad that he'd broken the ice. "No. He is Kiba's, and... if I do well enough alone, I'll earn my own dog. So it'll just be... you and me today, Naruto-kun."

He looked away. "I see. Good luck, Sakura-chan." With that, he headed for the field, glancing over his shoulder just in time to see Akamaru give the water bowl a wary sniff.

* * *

As Naruto took his first steps out onto the field, he had no idea that several very different people looking on were recalling their first encounters with him.

* * *

Inuzuka Hana had first come across Naruto on the very same night she'd become a chuunin. She'd been out celebrating with her friends when they came across a disturbing sight: a blond boy lying on the side of the road, facedown in a puddle of blood, urine, and broken beer bottles. Even more disturbing was the fact that her former teammates, both male, had unzipped to add their own "signatures". Hana had not quite castrated them on the spot, but she knew for a fact that they no longer had any thoughts about exposing what remained of their genitalia to anyone. With that done, Hana had carefully picked up the boy and taken him home to clean him up.

She'd encountered no resistance, as the Inuzuka Clan, even if they did have problems with the demon vessel, were smart enough to keep their thoughts to themselves. After all, a boy with fox features was not all that dissimilar from a boy with dog features, and if anyone had ever hurt Hana's baby brother that way, the least she would do was kill them. And what if Konoha one day decided that canine people reminded them too much of the fox boy they so hated? They would all find themselves in the same situation, and so it was just foolish to mistreat the boy based on the same characteristics that they were so proud of.

Even though the boy healed remarkably fast, he did not wake up the entire time Hana attended to him, not even when some of the more courageous puppies crawled all over him and licked his face. In some ways, that was for the best: that night, Kiba had asked too many questions that she just had no answers to, and hearing them from Naruto as well would've made her feel worse.

The following morning, Naruto would wake up in a nearby park, his head resting on a bag that contained food, money, and a first aid kit. He would never find out who had shown him such kindness, although he would get suspicious whenever Kiba smelled blood on him and then refused to let him walk home alone, especially if they had to pass a bar on the way.

* * *

Hinata had always been able to spot the other loners in her class easily. All she had to do was look for the other kids that no one talked to.

But even the loners usually had someone to go home to.

That was what first made her notice Naruto: he was ALWAYS alone.

So one day, Hinata had approached him when he was alone in a park that he frequented, hoping to make a new friend.

What she found was a fearful Naruto, quickly stashing something behind his back as she walked up.

Even without the Byakugan activated, Hinata's eyes were sharp. She had seen the kunai, the blood, and the deep cuts on Naruto's wrists, no matter how much he tried to hide them. She had known which ones were self-inflicted... and which ones weren't (there were a lot more of those, for one thing).

Naruto had stared at her, his face pale and his lips trembling in uncertainty and fear.

Finally, Hinata had done the only thing she could think of.

She asked to borrow a kunai.

Naruto refused, of course, gently at first, and then more violently when she kept insisting, tears spilling down her face.

Finally, Hinata had tried to take the weapon from him. But as reluctant as Naruto was to hurt her, he was even more determined to keep the kunai, and in the end, he'd shoved her a little too hard, and she fell on the grass, landing on her rear. It didn't hurt, but then she was already crying.

And that was how the Branch House escort had found them.

Naruto had immediately assumed all the blame before she could say a word, throwing down the kunai and calling her a stuck-up princess that should mind her own business. He didn't mean a single word, but it certainly looked like he did.

Fortunately, Rei had been among the guards that day, and kept them from attacking Naruto.

One of them had asked why they shouldn't beat Naruto within an inch of his life, since he deserved punishment for mistreating Hinata.

Rei had given him a cold look, and pointed out that Naruto's entire existence was torture, that no one of them could last an hour dealing the with kind of abuse he lived with. One of Hinata's bad days would be a dream come true for him, she said.

"But he's a demon!" another insisted angrily. "He deserves it all!"

"Of course he's not a demon, you fool," Rei snapped, grabbing Naruto's wrist and showing it to them. "Only a human would think his life holds so little value that he would attempt suicide. A demon would be too proud to even consider such a thing. Now take Hinata-sama home, or I'll make sure Hiashi-sama knows that you let her out of your sight long enough for this to happen."

As they dragged her away, Hinata's only worry was that the last thing she saw was Naruto, reclaiming his kunai.

* * *

The first time Ino had spotted Naruto, she had not been impressed.

Actually, she'd been in a hurry. The girls in her class had dared each other to go out and kiss random boys, and get a chunk of the boy's hair as proof. Naturaly, everyone had wanted to go after Sasuke, but Ino knew better than to try. This wasn't the first time Sasuke had fallen victim to one of their insane scavenger hunts, and he had probably updated all the traps around his apartment with that in mind.

Ino had briefly entertained the idea of just dying some hair black, but dismissed it quickly. The really hardcore fangirls knew the scent AND texture of Sasuke's hair, and would not be so easily fooled.

Then, in a stroke of good fortune, she'd seen Naruto sleeping under a tree.

Five minutes later, Ino had delivered her kiss, collected a lock of Naruto's hair, and was wondering if she could still pass it off as Shikamaru's with the right dye.

Ten minutes later, Sakura had finally showed up to get her own chunk of hair, although she'd been a bit more hesitant about kissing and scalping an unconscious boy they didn't even know. Once Ino pointed out that she'd be the only girl to lose at the scavenger hunt, though, Sakura got over it. They left with their trophies in hand, giggling and carefree.

As they were young and inexperienced, neither girl could tell that Naruto was not merely sleeping, but practically in a coma. He had been badly beaten the previous day, and was still recovering from his injuries. Normally, he would be awake for this, but Naruto was so devoted to the idea that death might be better than his pitiful existence, that he had begun to consciously resist the Kyuubi's efforts to heal him. Naruto's will was no match for the demon's, but it made things far easier if the boy was knocked out while the Kyuubi worked. Fighting each other would only tire them both out, and the fox preferred that the majority of Naruto's wounds were healed, at least before they ran into the next angry mob...

* * *

Sakura spent the first few moments of the match trying to convince herself that Naruto was just a random Sand-nin. When that didn't work, she gave up and just attacked him. This didn't really work, either: Naruto dodged all of her kicks and punches, though he didn't seem interested in returning them.

"Why aren't you fighting me?" she hissed under her breath.

"I'm trying to decide how to do that without actually hurting you," Naruto replied quietly.

Sakura's face softened a bit. "That's not possible, Naruto-kun. We both know that."

"Then I'm sorry, Sakura-chan." Biting his lip, Naruto suddenly vanished, moving faster than her eyes could follow.

Sakura froze, her eyes scanning the field as she sniffed the air. That turned out to be pointless, because Naruto suddenly whispered in her ear, "Duck." Frowning, she did so, and gasped when something flew over her head and hit the stadium wall, causing a small explosion.

"Jump," he muttered next, and though Sakura still couldn't see him, she did as instructed, her eyes widening as what seemed to be a sword made of roaring wind passed under her feet.

As Sakura landed, Naruto was suddenly behind her again, locking his arms around her in a painfully tight bear hug. "Do you plan to fake the whole fight?" she demanded, struggling against him with no luck.

"That'd be more convincing than me actually trying to hurt you," he answered, sounding both defensive and regretful. "Besides, you need to be in top form for what's going to happen soon."

"And what's that?"

"Later. Hit me in the jaw."

"I can't-" Sakura began to protest, when Naruto suddenly weakened his hold on her. Muttering under her breath, she jerked one arm loose and drove her elbow into his chin. The way his head snapped back was very convincing, and for a second Sakura feared too much of her frustration had gone into the hit.

Then Naruto looked at her, grinned (a sliver of blood running from his lip), and vanished again.

"Dammit, this won't work," she groaned. "Everyone's going to know that we're not being serious!"

"In a couple of minutes, trust me, no one is going to care how the matches turned out," Naruto told her, appearing overhead with a blue, rapidly swirling ball of chakra in his right hand.

Since Naruto hadn't said anything about her dodging, Sakura assumed that whatever it was wouldn't kill her. On the other hand, she had a feeling that Naruto still intended to win this match, and that following all of his instructions would result in just that. But Sakura was just a bit too proud to allow that, and went on to show him that by smacking his hand aside and driving her fist into his face.

At least, that was SUPPOSED to happen, except Naruto grinned and pulled his head back just enough, so that instead of punching him, Sakura extended her arm just enough for Naruto to plant a playful kiss on her knuckles. And then he grabbed her arm, winked, and sent her sailing over his head in a perfectly executed throw.

Although she knew he was teasing, Sakura's face was still bright red, both from embarrassment and anger. For one thing, Kiba was watching, and for another, Naruto kissing her hand shouldn't have stunned her as much as it had. But as she was currently flying through the air at top speed, there wasn't much she could do about her situation.

And it appeared that Naruto didn't want her to do much of anything, if the huge, glowing ball of chakra he was holding over his head with two hands was any indicator. Again, Sakura knew he wasn't really serious... although it was a good reminder that if Naruto had been any other Sand-nin, he could've and probably would've killed her several times over by now.

Fortunately, Sakura had plenty of time to brace for impact before she hit the wall.

Unfortunately, by the time she stopped seeing stars, the huge chakra ball was mere inches from her face.

Then she felt Naruto's arms around her waist, and the world exploded into an endless sea of blue light.

* * *

If Kiba had not seen the Shadow Clone that took the last hit for Sakura, he would've rushed the field and torn out Naruto's throat.

Well, he would've tried his best, anyway.

There was no doubt in his mind that the attack would've seriously injured her under normal circumstances. He understood and accepted that Naruto was only trying to act in the way that people expected him to, but that had been awfully close.

But there was no time to check on Sakura, because his match with Sasuke was next. Naruto did at least look in his direction before carrying Sakura over to the medics, and while some of them gave him dirty looks, Sakura did seem to wake up rather quickly, and was even back on her feet by the time Kiba and Akamaru walked onto the field.

From that point on, Kiba focused entirely on Sasuke, and was pleased to see that the Uchiha was doing the same. They had never been friends, exactly, and beyond a decent level of respect for each other's abilities, hardly even spoke. But Kiba heard plenty of rumors about how much Sasuke had changed under Gaara's leadership, and as confident as the dog boy was in his own power, he did not expect to win against a Uchiha in ANBU. That wouldn't stop him from trying, however.

A moment later, Jiraiya called for the match to begin.

Kiba was briefly confused by the fact that Sasuke didn't reach for the two swords he wore on his back, but pushed that thought aside as he glanced down at Akamaru, silently signaling him to stay back... for now.

"It's been a while since I've seen you fight, Kiba," Sasuke commented almost lazily. "Hope you've been practicing."

"Worry about yourself, Sasuke. In my clan, we don't let marriage make us soft!" Kiba was joking, of course, but Sasuke took it the way he'd hoped and frowned.

The wind shifted, and both boys were rushing at each other, Kiba's claws and teeth lengthening as he activated his trusty Shikyaku no Jutsu (Four Legs Technique) with no hand seals from the ease of long practice. Meanwhile, Sasuke's cheeks quickly ballooned, obviously preparing to release a Katon jutsu.

Neither attack connected, though it was not because of poor aim, or either boy's ability to dodge.

Kiba, for instance, assumed that Sasuke was using some sort of Doton jutsu, and had merely puffed up his cheeks as a distraction.

Sasuke, on the other hand, knew the invasion had begun when the ground exploded beneath his feet, and a clawed, red hand seized his ankle in an iron grip. Before he even had time to blink, he'd been pulled underground and struck with a hard blow to the head.

Kiba only needed to glance at the frown on Jiraiya's face to know that this was wrong, and instantly dove for the hole in the ground, only to have that same red fist planted in his face, breaking his nose and very nearly his neck with the force of the blow.

Akamaru suddenly starting barking his head off, and that was Kiba's only warning before the hole opened up further, allowing a monster to climb out. Everything about the creature set off alarms to Kiba's remaining senses. It was easily over seven feet tall, its scarlet skin stretched tightly over bulging muscle and extra bone growth. Black eyes with no pupils glared at Kiba from between long, white bangs. Worst of all, Kiba could feel his body shaking in disgust as the thing's foul chakra pulsed, one of it's powerful arms flexing grotesquely.

Kiba was so unnerved by the overall sight that it was several moments before his damaged nose finally picked up traces of what Akamaru was now telling him: the creature had a sealed coffin strapped to its back, and Sasuke's scent was coming out of it.

That was when multiple explosions ripped through the stadium, each one taking out a different section of the crowd. Kiba's eyes widened as something flew out of the gray smoke and landed wetly on the ground; he prayed it wasn't a bloody arm, but his eyes told him otherwise.

"Hana and Ma would've smelled explosives," Kiba told himself over and over again, training his gaze back on the red creature before him. He couldn't worry about them now, as he had much bigger problems.

Like getting Sasuke back without losing his life in the process.

* * *

"What do we do now?"

It was such a simple question, really, and Ino had asked it more as a way to break the tense, frightening silence that immediately followed the explosion. She didn't want to think about what the quiet might mean for the rest of her friends.

Kyojuu cursed loudly, and Ino found out why rather quickly. He was staring at the Hokage's box... which was empty, save for some very bloody corpses, none of which belonged to the Hokage, or the Kazekage. "They took him," he muttered, digging his claws into his hands.

"Why is there sand on the bodies?" Ino asked, her voice quivering at the implication.

"That isn't Gaara's sand," Kyojuu said as he leaned over one of the bodies. "The scent is different. So it was someone who wanted people to think it was Gaara. I can guess how that little revelation would go over with the council. They'd have Gaara exiled or executed within the hour, if they could pin this on him."

Ino bit her lip and clutched Konkon a little tighter to her. Not because she was worried about Gaara, but because she knew it could've easily been Naruto in his place.

Yugito's face fell. "I hoped things would be different here, but..."

"There's no time, Yugito-chan." Kyojuu peered off into the distance, his eyes narrowing. "Giant snake summons are in the village. They're giving the ninja a lot of trouble." He paused, then nodded. "I'm going to take care of them. What about you?"

"I'm going to find Naruto. I think he might've gone after Saru-jiji."

"To help him, or...?"

Yugito shook her head. "I refuse to believe he's changed that much. Naruto would never attack someone that showed him kindness."

"Um, what about us? What should we do?" Ino asked, indicating herself and Haku.

"You should probably help your friends," Yugito suggested, nodding to the field, where Shikamaru and Chouji were racing to back up Kiba.

"Right," Ino said, squeezing Konkon for luck. "Haku-chan, what are you-"

"I will go with you, Ino-sama," Haku interrupted, bowing his head slightly. "I would never let you face so great a threat without me."

Had anyone else said it, Ino would've been offended. But she only smiled and squeezed Haku's hand before running towards the field to join her teammates, with Haku right behind her.

"Once you deal with the snakes, hurry back, Kyojuu-kun," Yugito said softly. "If Naruto loses control, you're about the only one on our side who stands a chance of overpowering him. I'll keep an eye out for Gaara."

"No need," Kyojuu responded. "I know exactly where he's gone. We're not so different, he and I. I'm here with you, so there's only one place he could be..."

* * *

Gaara was not usually such an instinctive person. He preferred to think things through carefully when time allowed. But, as was the nature of invasions, there wasn't much time to do anything but act.

The moment the explosives had gone off, Gaara's concerns had been limited only to the people he was certain might have considerable trouble protecting themselves. At the top of that list was Ayame, followed by Hanabi, if only because she would be included in the evacuation with children who assumedly couldn't handle an enemy threat. It was less that she couldn't defend herself, and more that the Leaf-nin responsible for protecting her age group would prevent her from fighting effectively.

So despite being low on chakra, Gaara had gone straight to the shelters buried deep beneath the Hokage Monument. He had briefly considered the idea that maybe he should be doing something else, like assisting the Sandaime. But his mother had calmly pointed out that however hard it would be to lose the Hokage, he was an old man, and prepared (practically even required, in fact) to die for his village. The loss of Ayame, however, would not be so easily tolerated, and that was all the convincing Gaara had needed.

Gaara's reasoning was further validated as he crushed the life out of two Sand-nin that had managed to slip into the shelters. He'd caught them before they'd done any real damage, although he didn't expect to be thanked, if the terrified looks on the faces of the children he'd saved was any indicator. It finally dawned on him that he still wore no Leaf insignia, and that they had no idea which side he was on.

"You should stay closer to your parents," was all he could think to say as he brushed past them, following Ayame's scent with some help from Shukaku. He finally found her and Rei sitting among four children, one of which was Hanabi (a thoroughly bored look on her face).

Ayame's face lit up as she spotted him, even though her confusion was obvious. "Gaara-kun! What are you doing here of all places?"

Gaara opened his mouth to say he'd come for her, but the words wouldn't come out. It wasn't as if he was ashamed to admit it, and yet, he just couldn't at the moment. So he just stood there, staring at her, until an alternate reason came to him.

"I may need Hanabi's eyes, and I am certain Rei-san's talents could be used more effectively elsewhere."

Ayame nodded slowly, but something in her eyes told Gaara that she knew exactly why he'd come. Or maybe it was the warm smile that spread across her face. Definitely one of those, though.

"FINALLY!" Hanabi cried in relief, grabbing Rei's hand and practically dragging her over to Gaara. "Why does nobody else believe I can kick butt?!"

"I heard Gaara mention nothing about you fighting, Hanabi-sama," Rei pointed out, giving the girl a firm poke in the shoulder.

"You didn't hear him mention anything about killing any enemy we come across, either, but I'd guess he's all for that, too."

Gaara said nothing to indicate otherwise, and Rei groaned. "Let's just go..."

"Hold on!" a voice shouted.

Gaara blinked and looked down to see a small boy glaring up at him.

"You can't take Hanabi out there just because she has the Byakugan! She has to stay here with the rest of us, where it's safer!"

"You are Konohamaru," Gaara said after a moment. "There is no safer place for Hanabi than at my side. Considering this shelter has already been compromised, and that I took care of the intruders, I've more than proven that."

Konohamaru narrowed his eyes, staring at Gaara with obvious suspicion. "You don't look so tough to me. And why can't you just use some other Hyuuga, like that lady?" he demanded, pointing at Rei.

"No other Hyuuga will do," Gaara replied, placing his hand on Hanabi's head. "Hanabi is the only one that I trust to guide me down the correct path. Your grandfather trusted her to serve this village. What I ask of her now is no different. She may very well save Konoha single-handedly today... but she cannot do it if we are here, wasting time explaining things to you."

"A good Hokage would know when to let go," Hanabi said, once she saw that Konohamaru wasn't done arguing yet.

Konohamaru bit his lip, but finally fell silent.

"There's no need to worry, Konohamaru," Rei told him. "Between myself and Gaara, she'll be just fine."

"Did I NOT just finish saying I can kick my own share of butt?!" Hanabi shouted, waving her arms angrily.

Rei, who was far too used to such displays, merely sighed. But Konohamaru backed up a few steps and wisely became interested in the wall. Gaara just shook his head and grabbed Hanabi by the waist, tucking her flailing body under one arm.

"Gaara-kun... you'll look after Naruto, won't you?" Ayame asked.

Hanabi instantly stopped struggling.

Gaara nodded. "If my brother falls into darkness, I will simply drag him back out."

"And I'll hit him with a rock," Hanabi offered.

Gaara blinked and stared at her.

"A big rock?" she asked hesitantly.

"It'd be more efficient to just shove him off of a cliff."

"Yeah, but there's never a cliff when you need one. And since you can pull a heavy rock out of nowhere..."

"Um, excuse me..." Ayame said, a large sweatdrop rolling down the back of her head.

"Wait, maybe if I knelt down behind him, and then you pushed him over me, and THEN we hit him with a big rock..." Hanabi suggested.

"HEY!!" Ayame shouted. "You're supposed to look after him, not crack his skull open!"

"If we wanted to do that, we'd need a rock so heavy I wouldn't be able to lift it in the first place," Hanabi pointed out reasonably. "This will just daze him for a few seconds, maybe." She looked to Gaara for confirmation, and at his nod, turned back to Ayame. "It'd be easier if one of us could pull up a tree. Gaara, what about those pillars you used earlier?"

"I'll keep it in mind," Gaara replied, gesturing slightly as sand flew from his gourd, surrounded their feet, and pulled all three of them into the ground. A second later, both they and the sand were gone.

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Naruto was not chasing the Sandaime Hokage.

Well, he was, but his primary goal had less to do with the old man, and more to do with the person that had attacked him: the Yondaime Kazekage.

This by itself was not really so surprising: who better to fight one Kage than another? And the Kazekage was proud enough that he would allow no one else the honor.

But what had alarmed Naruto was the WAY in which the Kazekage attacked. Few people had ever witnessed the leader of Suna in battle, because he executed his attacks under such secrecy that no one was ever quite sure how he fought.

And Naruto was NOT a big fan of coincidence, so when he noticed that the Kazekage resembled Kankurou's infamous second puppet, in both appearance and attack style, alarm bells went off in his head.

Kankurou didn't use live puppets. Theoretically, it wasn't even possible, since the organs would get in the way of the weapons and traps. Which meant that the Kazekage was dead, that Kankurou had most likely killed him, and that together they would most likely kill the Sandaime Hokage.

It was insane and ingenious all at once.

But the razor-sharp, swirling rings of sand around the Kazekage were far too familiar to Naruto. He still remembered the way they'd cut through his flesh so very easily, and the intense, crippling pain that they'd caused.

For all the Hokage's mistakes in the past, he didn't deserve to feel that kind of pain. Few did (although in Naruto's opinion, most of them DID live in Konoha), and there was little doubt in his mind that the old man wouldn't survive that kind of pain for very long, no matter how tough and experienced he was.

And so, disregarding all of the orders he'd been given concerning the invasion, Naruto left Sakura with the medic-nin and raced off to follow the Hokage and the Kazekage, both of whom had vanished into a flying cloud of sand.

It wasn't hard to find them at all. They'd merely moved to a nearby rooftop, and made no real attempt to hide themselves. That was because they were behind a dark violet barrier, apparently maintained by four people who were, upon closer inspection, Sand-nin. Naruto didn't recognize them, nor the barrier they were using, but something told him that he'd have to kill them to get what he wanted.

The two Kages were already fighting, and Naruto couldn't help the slight grin that came to his face as the Hokage forced the Kazekage back with a single shuriken that suddenly became a thousand, courtesy of the Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique). However, the Kazekage was unharmed, thanks to the multiple, levitating rings of sand that constantly swirled his body. The rings merely thickened to block the spray of shuriken, completely shielding the Kazekage, then returned to their original size.

Naruto turned his attention back to the Sand-nin as he ran to the barrier. One of them actually looked a little familiar now, but Naruto wasn't sure where he'd seen the man. He pushed that thought aside and focused on the only female present, who was glaring at him. "Let me in," Naruto demanded.

"Stick to the plan, you little shit," she growled. "You're supposed to be immobilizing Gaara."

"Let me in," Naruto repeated, allowing a little of Kyuubi's chakra to taint his eyes red.

"Fuck off!" she barked, sneering at him. "The boss said no one gets in or out until he's done!"

"Kazekage-sama never said that! And anyway, he's de-"

"Wrong boss," the young woman interrupted as Naruto suddenly noticed a fifth Sound-nin within the barrier. Unlike the others, he was a jounin, and didn't appear to be maintaining the barrier at all. And though his face was somewhat different, Naruto instantly knew that he was looking at Orochimaru. At the moment, however, the Snake Sannin was merely watching the battle with an amused grin on his face.

It was then that Naruto realized that Meg had been right about Orochimaru all along. He didn't just want to destroy Konoha, he wanted to watch the old man die, a fact that he had conveniently left out of the plans. The rage that Naruto felt was considerable, but not overwhelming. After all, he'd suspected that Orochimaru was using him for a while now, so he was hardly surprised. Which meant he was still very much in control as he harnessed that rage, exactly as Orochimaru had taught him.

The female Sand-nin gasped as Naruto's right arm burst into scarlet flames. Even though she was theoretically safe inside the barrier, she could still feel the overwhelming heat. She watched helplessly as he drew back his flaming arm, clearly intending to drive it straight into the barrier.

"Naruto!" a voice shouted behind him. "STOP!"

Frowning, Naruto paused as Temari landed behind him. "Why? They're going to kill the old man. I won't just sit here and watch."

"Even if you do get past the barrier, you'll only be killed," Temari snapped, thumping the back of his head lightly with her fan. "Are you telling me you don't recognize the people holding up the barrier?"

Naruto stared at her. "No."

"Well, the one with the SMALL TITS is obviously-"

"YOU BITCH!" the female Sand-nin shrieked.

"Gotta be Tayuya," Naruto murmured.

"And she's not the one you need to worry about," Temari added, pointing at another Sand-nin... one who hadn't taken his eyes off of Naruto since the boy's arrival. "I'd know Iruka anywhere, and he wouldn't be here unless he were prepared to kill you."

Naruto's eyes widened as he stared at the man.

"I warned you, Naruto," Iruka whispered. "You set one foot inside this barrier and you're mine."

"You don't care that they're going to kill the Sandaime?!" Naruto shouted.

"All I care about is Tayuya's happiness... and killing you." Iruka glanced at Tayuya, and at his signal, she dropped the genjutsu that had been masking them and their comrades as Sand-nin, allowing everyone to see that they were truly four members of the new Sound Five.

The Sandaime Hokage froze upon seeing Iruka in Sound garb, and paid dearly for it as a ring of sand bit deeply into his shoulder, leaving a large gash the bled steadily. The old man stumbled back as the Kazekage advanced on him.

"Kankurou, stop this!" Naruto shouted, scanning the area for his brother. "You don't have to kill him!"

"No, I don't," Kankurou agreed, his voice echoing strangely around the area, "but the possibility of having two Kages for my collection is too great a temptation. And the first was just so easy. I was hoping for a real challenge this time..."

Naruto gritted his teeth, trying to keep his anger under control. Kankurou's scent was everywhere, as was his voice. There was no way to pinpoint where his brother was hiding. That meant Naruto's only option was to break the barrier and take his chances with Iruka. But if he used up too much chakra breaking through, Iruka would kill him for sure.

Even Temari was stumped. She'd come to watch Naruto's back, only to find that it was her other brother she should've been keeping an eye on. She wasn't really shocked that her father was dead, or that Kankurou was using him as a puppet. Really, when you were that much of an ass for that long, someone you knew was bound to kill you.

"We need Gaara," Naruto said suddenly. "And his swords."

"But where is he?" Temari asked. "I lost track of him when the explosions started."

Naruto closed his eyes, trying to sense Gaara's familiar chakra. He found it a lot faster than he'd expected to. "Coming this way. Fast. Too fast! GET BACK!" Before Temari could ask, Naruto tackled her and sent them flying out of the way with a strong gust of wind around his feet.

Seconds later, an enormous shadow fell over the barrier, and everyone paused and looked up to see a HUGE boulder heading right for them. On top of it, laughing madly, was the equally huge form of Shukaku, multiple copies of the Seal of the White Moon glowing on various parts of his body. The demon was drooling in anticipation of the chaos he was about to cause.

"SURPRISE, SUCKERS!!" Shukaku cackled seconds before the boulder hit the barrier.

The barrier had been designed to resist many things, including a boulder of that size, and possibly even a rampaging greater demon. But never both at the same time (and really, few things could resist the combined force).

So when boulder met barrier, both broke. But since one had gravity and Shukaku on its side, the onslaught was far from over.

The Sound Five members were knocked to the ground as their barrier shattered, disrupting their chakra flow for a moment. They all recovered quickly, though, and either got out of the way (Tayuya and Iruka) or constructed hasty defenses to shield themselves: Jiroubo yanked a thick slab of earth from the ground, and Kidoumaru coated it in several layers of his super-strong webbing. And while this did protect them from the large sections of boulder that rained down on them, it did nothing to stop the enormous claws of Shukaku, which ripped through them, defenses and all, with minimal effort. Shukaku giggled madly at the feel of strong blood on his claws; he'd missed the sensation. He immediately turned his attention to the strongest chakra source he could sense: the Sound jounin, whose killing intent was strong enough that Shukaku very nearly winced.

"You've ruined my plans for the second and FINAL time, desert rat," the Sound-nin hissed. Even as he spoke, two large, wooden coffins rose up behind him. They were labeled, but carefully positioned in a straight line behind the Sound-nin, so that no one could see what was written on them.

No one except a little girl with the Byakugan, who was perched on Shukaku's shoulder.

"Shukaku-sama!" Hanabi cried, jumping up and down on the demon's shoulder to get his attention. "You must destroy those coffins quickly! They have the power to bind your strength, and Gaara cannot defeat either of them!"

The demon gave Hanabi a glance, but shrugged (nearly spilling her on the ground, which would've certainly killed her from that height) and stretched forth his right arm, intending to crush the coffins in his bloody claws.

The Sound jounin chuckled and stepped aside, grinning as the first coffin slid open to reveal the sleeping form of the Shodai Hokage. He stepped forward again, a tagged kunai in hand.

"SHODAI-SAMA, WAKE UP!!" Hanabi screamed desperately.

Amazingly, the Shodai did just that, responding to something in Hanabi's voice. Before the tagged kunai could be implanted in him, the wooden coffin lid flew up at his command and struck the Sound-nin's hand, sending his special kunai flying far off into the distance.

For a moment, it seemed as if things would be fine.

Then the Shodai spun around, his eyes flashing, and thrust his hand at the still approaching claws of Shukaku.

The greater demon roared in pain and recoiled, sending Hanabi flying off of his shoulder. She would've been killed for certain, if the Shodai hadn't caught her in time.

"Shodai-sama, don't attack him!" Hanabi pleaded, grabbing the dead man's arm. "He's on our side!"

"For now," the Shodai replied, thrusting his hand out again and sending Shukaku scrambling back as pain lanced through his giant body.

"No, please! Gaara is my friend! He can control Shukaku!"

"And he is not the only one, unfortunately," the Shodai replied ominously, glancing over his shoulder at the remaining coffin. He knew there were only three people it could possibly contain, and while any would've been horrible, only two of the three would mean certain doom for Konoha. The Shodai gestured slightly with his hand, holding his breath as the final coffin slowly turned, revealing its label to him.

Hanabi could actually see the hopelessness rise in the dead Hokage's eyes as his pale face grew even paler. "No," he whispered softly. "We are all doomed..."

Preparing herself for the worst, Hanabi followed his gaze. She did not recognize the name on the coffin. Not all of it, anyway. The Uchiha part was familiar enough, but she had never heard of anyone named Madara before...

**End of Chapter 30.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Breaking of Konoha, Part 2.**

The Rookie Nine suffer their first losses. Haku reveals a new ice jutsu. Also, the Return of Uchiha Madara. And the introduction of the mysterious shinobi known as the Fuma Five.

**Endnotes:**

The idea of Temari being trained to assassinate Gaara was actually an old one from a story that I never finished or bothered to post. It had far too much death, and I wrote myself into a corner, so I doubt you'll ever see it. Basically, Temari's battle fan is made from a superhard, heavy metal, and drops of Gaara's mother's blood. Temari's been using the fan (or one like it) since shortly after Gaara's birth (at which point she could barely even move it). Now that she actually has the strength to use it, the idea is that, when swung hard and fast enough, the fan could actually pierce one of Gaara's defenses (supposedly because only a weapon forged with Karura's blood could do so). Gaara refers to her as the last Suna assassin because she had the best chance succeeding… but it's also a weird form of late foreshadowing, since there is no more Suna.

I'm guessing that Hana is at least four years older than Kiba. I have no real basis for thinking this, except that Kiba is 12 when the manga starts, and I found Hana's age listed as 18 somewhere, though I have no idea when that was. But since she looks so much taller than him, I think I'm close to being right. So in her memory, Hana is around 13 (a common age for first attempting the chuunin exams), and Naruto is about 9.

If you feel like people are dying far too easily, in some cases, that was done on purpose. It's an easy way to get rid of characters I wasn't really using, anyway. As for Jiroubo and Kidoumaru, my only defense is if they need their level 2 curse seals (and two other comrades in the same state) to deal with two Leaf jounin, they wouldn't last long against Shukaku's true form.

The Shodai Hokage had the ability to suppress greater demons somehow. That's why he can force Shukaku back. And to be clear, he knows Gaara isn't a bad guy. But his primary concerns are: 1) to keep that final coffin closed, and 2) to suppress Shukaku so that he can't be influenced by someone else. It's also important to note that without that tagged kunai, the Shodai is not under Orochimaru's control. As for why Orochimaru didn't immediately use the second kunai, he's saving it for Madara's revival, which in the end is far more important than having the Shodai under his control.

I know, I said I wouldn't touch the Madara mess with a ten foot pole. But THIS isn't a mess. It's a carefully constructed plot twist. But BECAUSE of the existing mess, again I will remind you that Tobi, Obito, and Madara are three separate beings here. In fact, they've never met (Obito was already dead when Tobi first touched him, and watching someone from afar doesn't really count as meeting them).

Hanabi knows the Shodai from her studies, and she's met his spirit. She doesn't know Madara, but assumed that if a Sound-nin went to the trouble of summoning the Shodai, the other coffin must be equally or more powerful than him. Which is correct in this case.

I apologize for the choppy action, but there is a LOT going on at roughly the same time, and it's hard to keep track of everyone. Which reminds me, Rei is no longer with Gaara and Hanabi because she was dropped off along the way to handle something else, entrusting Hanabi's safety to Gaara for the time being. But more on that next chapter.

Hinata's jutsu:

**Avenging Arrow:**

Hinata throws her sword, and is able to correct its flight path through her will. Note: Couldn't find a good translation for that, so… yeah.

**Hanabi Bakuha (Fireworks Blast):**

Hinata slashes a target with her sword, and the wound later detonates on her command.

Temari's jutsu/wind spirit:

**Daikamaitachi no Jutsu (Great Cutting Whirlwind Technique):**

A more powerful version of Kamaitachi no Jutsu (the original is C-rank, this one is B-rank). I don't think I've ever actually seen Temari use this jutsu, but supposedly it exists.

**Karakkaze (Cold, Strong, Dry Wind):**

Temari's wind spirit. As it's name implies, it attacks with freezing winds, and is able to incase most objects in ice within a few seconds.

Gaara's jutsu:

**Doton: Kazangan (Earth Release: Volcanic Rock):**

Gaara summons and manipulates a special type of black rock that emits its own heat, and so cannot be frozen. When ground down, it releases a glittery dust.

**Suna Kadou (Sand Vortex):**

Gaara spews sand from his mouth, which quickly forms into a swirling, hovering sand whirlpool. The vortex draws in and rapidly absorbs any foreign chakra nearby, and can even drain chakra from attacks used against it. When enough chakra has been taken in, Gaara can also throw the vortex like a giant shuriken.

**Saiko Zettai Bogyo: Shukaku no Tate (Extreme Hard Ultimate Defense: Shield of Shukaku):**

A highly powerful defense technique in which Gaara creates a small sand sculpture of Shukaku, which defends him from virtually any type of offensive attack. Although this technique requires a lot of chakra usage, it does provide for a very powerful defense.

**Suna no Yoroi (Armour of Sand):**

This jutsu uses chakra to cover the user with a thin, but dense, layer of protective sand. While a good defense, it puts a burden on the user's stamina, both through chakra absorption and the fact that the sand makes them heavier and hampers their movement.

**Ryuusa no Jutsu (Quicksand Technique)**:

An escape technique that allows Gaara to travel by sinking into a pool of sand, making it harder to detect his presence.

Naruto's jutsu:

**Oinaru Kaze Kyuu (Great Wind Sphere):**

A much larger version of Naruto's Wind Sphere, with far more explosive power.

Kiba's jutsu:

**Shikyaku no Jutsu (Four Legs Technique, a.k.a. Quadruped Technique):**

This technique gives some increase of strength and speed to the user, as well as lengthening their nails into claws.

Yondaime Kazekage's jutsu:

**Suna no Daikama (Scythe of Sand):**

The Kazekage manipulates sand with his chakra so that it is razor-sharp to the touch, easily piercing flesh with even glancing hits and causing excruciating pain to his victims. Instead of using this to kill foes quickly, however, he tends to gradually wear them down, until they have lost a great deal of blood and are practically paralyzed by the pain.

Orochimaru's jutsu:

**Edo Tensei (Summoning: Impure World Resurrection):**

This technique allows the user to revive the dead. The user must first sacrifice a living human in order to tie the deceased person's soul to the world (unlike the normal summoning technique, which only uses some of the user's blood). Then, the body is formed out of dust and dirt and rises out of the ground in front of the user inside a wooden coffin. The revived person is not under the user's control unless certain things are done to erode away their emotions and memories (that's where the special kunai come in).


	31. The Breaking of Konoha, Part 2

* * *

Notes: The more I try to steer this story away from canon, the more Kishimoto seems to steer them closer together. The revelation about the Uchiha Clan's origin is actually a nice tie-in for a subplot I was building up to. And I guess if Tobi HAS to be Madara, him being only half-human makes an acceptable excuse as to how he's still alive. Of course, Tobi STILL won't be Madara here, I just don't like that idea at all (Tobi being Obito makes twice as much sense, and is far easier explained, in my opinion).

WARNING: There's character death. Beyond the obvious, expected ones from canon, that is. And some are messy. But they serve a purpose, trust me.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 31: The Breaking of Konoha, Part 2**

* * *

_Near the Gates of Konoha - August_

Most people in Konoha no longer believed in miracles, and hadn't since the loss of the Yondaime Hokage.

Today, some of them would begin to believe again.

And all it took was, once again, for the village to be threatened with destruction, and for a savior to rise up.

This time the threat was not a monstrous fox, but several giant snakes rampaging through the village. Nearly every shinobi present realized they could only be Orochimaru's summons, while the villagers generally just feared for their lives and ran to the assigned shelters.

The snakes themselves were a huge problem, and not just because of their size (although that had to be taken into consideration). They were naturally resistant to a great deal of jutsu, although they retained a healthy fear of fire, so long as it was enough to actually harm them. Even in large groups, the Leaf-nin could only fire off a couple of flame streams before they got a snake's full attention and were forced to scatter to avoid being crushed or eaten.

Morino Ibiki was among the first of the defense force to spot the huge, white dog rushing towards them. He found it odd that he could neither hear nor feel the great dog's heavy footfalls, but as the dog rushed past him, he saw why.

The dog's paws never actually touched the ground. Instead, there seemed to be a thin cushion of air beneath its paws, and the ground itself never received any impact. That was Ibiki's first clue that the dog was on their side, because it was the ONLY thing that size that was purposely avoiding causing more damage to the village. He quickly ordered his men not to attack the dog, and to keep concentrating on the snakes. Some of them weren't happy about that, but the dog was fresh, so there weren't many willing to take it on when they were still having problems with the snakes.

The snakes immediately focused all of their attention on the dog, but all it meant was that they were able to see their doom approaching.

The dog slid to a stop, growled, and barked. All five of its long tails suddenly stood straight up, and one of them glowed bright red, an instant before several streams of fire flew from the dog's mouth. It was not aiming directly at any one snake, and this did not matter in the least, because each stream turned sharply and headed straight for a snake, surprising all of them enough that they had no time to dodge, and burst into giant plumes of smoke on impact.

The Leaf-nin all froze, waiting to see what the dog would do next.

Ibiki was more surprised than anyone when the pebbles at his feet shifted to form a message that immediately got his attention. By the time he looked up again, the dog was gone, racing towards the other side of the village, where reports of more snakes were already starting to come in.

"All available squads, come with me!" Ibiki shouted.

"But, sir!" one of the men protested. "The dog-"

"Just destroyed our targets for us, and did it without damaging any part of the village. You have a problem with that?"

"No, sir."

"Good. Now get moving. This crisis isn't over; it's just beginning." Ibiki took one last look at the message in the dirt, and decided to leave it for any other squad that might come across it later. He would risk it, since their enemies probably already knew, anyway.

The pebbles in the dirt had arranged themselves to spell out: **HOKAGE IN DANGER, SEND HELP!**

* * *

_Konoha - Stadium - August_

Sakura was one of, if not the smartest genin in her year. But she was quickly starting to realize that with great intelligence came a great deal of fear and frustration. Because the only thing her big brain was currently telling her was just how hopelessly outmatched she and her fellow rookies were.

It was annoying enough that they were working to save Sasuke, but they had to take on an unstoppable red freak to do it.

And while there was no opting out of a combat situation like this, Sakura was sorely tempted to just let the freak take Sasuke. Hinata would of course have something to say about that, but since the former Hyuuga heiress was dealing with the seemingly endless stream of Sound-nin that trickled into the stadium to attack the group from behind, she couldn't exactly save Sasuke herself. She was, however, keeping one eye on the coffin that contained him, even as she cut through the enemies with her glowing sword.

Sakura, on the other hand, had resigned herself to doing quick patch jobs on Kiba, Akamaru, Chouji, and Shikamaru whenever one of them stopped engaging the red monster and briefly retreated. They could only attack in short intervals anyway, as the creature would eventually catch them with a heavy backhand that sent them crashing at Sakura's feet.

The scary part was that Kiba, Akamaru, and Chouji had all connected with their best attacks, and the red behemoth had shrugged them off with no visible damage. Even worse, he was easily fast enough to avoid the attacks, but he didn't bother, since they weren't hurting him in the first place.

Meanwhile, both of Kiba's arms were basically useless from colliding with the monster's super hard body twice in a row, Akamaru could barely stand, Chouji was gushing blood from some nasty cuts in his right forearm, and Shikamaru had very nearly exhausted his chakra by keeping their foe from fleeing with Sasuke. Sakura wasn't fighting for two reasons: she was conserving all of her chakra for healing, and if Kiba and Akamaru couldn't put a dent in the red creature, there was no way she could. Unfortunately, all the more talented medics were elsewhere, so Sakura was the only thing keeping them all standing. But for all her training, she only had so much chakra, and she wasn't in much better shape than Shikamaru.

The Nara boy winced slightly as he swallowed yet another soldier pill. "We can't keep this up for too much longer. The only reason that thing hasn't mowed us down yet is because he likes toying with us. Once he gets bored, we better have a plan." He carefully flexed the arm that Sakura had just healed. "In fact, I might just have one."

Sakura frowned, noticing that Shikamaru hadn't paused to form the familiar circle sign with his hands. She'd heard a nasty rumor that when he suddenly came up with an idea WITHOUT doing that, it was usually a bad sign. "What's the plan, Shikamaru?" she asked warily.

"Can't tell you," Shikamaru replied, keeping his eyes trained on the red monster as Chouji slammed into it from behind. "You'd only try to talk me out of it."

"Shikamaru, don't-"

"Sakura," he interrupted, lowering his voice. "Tell Naruto to take care of Ino." With that, he started walking forward, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Sakura's eyes widened. She very nearly tried to call him back, but quickly realized that doing that would only draw the monster's attention to her friend, and that was the last thing she wanted.

Shikamaru kept walking, ignoring the confused, concerned looks he got from Kiba and Chouji as he stopped directly in front of their foe.

The red creature finally noticed Shikamaru, turning to give the boy his full attention.

"You know, you're really starting to get on my nerves," Shikamaru sighed. "We're obviously no match for you, so why don't you just take Sasuke and go? He's the one you want, right?"

For the first time, the red monster spoke. "I mistook you for the smartest in your group. But only one man may give orders to Kaguya Kimimaro, Leader of the Sound Five... and you are not him. Now die."

Shikamaru merely watched as Kimimaro raised a thick arm high into the air. "Troublesome," the boy sighed as he finally drew a weapon from his pocket.

It was a kunai, with an odd, tiny doodle of a pineapple-headed boy carved into each side.

"No mere blade can pierce my defense," Kimimaro snorted.

"Good thing this isn't a mere one," Shikamaru said with a grin, just before the kunai exploded in his hand, bathing the entire stadium in a blinding white light.

Kimimaro roared in pain as the light struck his eyes. Even when he threw up an arm to shield them, the light seemed to have a mind of its own, sliding around his arm, seeping through his fingers, always finding his eyes, sending pain lancing through them in a constant barrage.

Then came the shadows.

They raced from Shikamaru's feet, and the boy himself seemed to slump a bit as the shadows rose up, forming a large, clawed hand that quickly sank its sharp claws into Kimimaro's flesh. But as with the light, the shadows were more than they seemed. For instead of simply tearing Kimimaro to shreds, the shadows broke apart into millions of tiny needles, covering his entire body before giving a single, powerful yank.

Dark blood fountained from what seemed to be every pore on Kimimaro's body, but the only display of pain that the Kaguya allowed himself was a soft groan. He remained standing, and it quickly became clear that whatever Shikamaru's jutsu had been intended to do, it had either failed entirely or simply been proven ineffective.

On the other hand, Shikamaru himself was now a shell of his former self. Having lost the strength to stand, he had collapsed to the ground. He was absolutely covered in white, from his once-dark hair, to his sickly pale skin, and even his clothes had been drained of any other color.

"Your jutsu is powerful, I'll admit," Kimimaro said slowly, even as the blood flow from his body slowed, then stopped altogether. "But it seems to have had a greater negative impact on you. I can sense that your chakra has been drained down to absolute zero. You must have even poured most of your very life force into that attack. It is no longer necessary to kill you... but your courage has earned you an honorable shinobi's death." Kimimaro made a fist and extended his right arm. Faster than the eye could follow, three large bone projectiles flew from his knuckles and buried themselves deep in Shikamaru's chest.

Shikamaru's mouth fell open in a silent gasp of pain, and then his head dropped to the ground, his body going limp.

Sakura looked on in horror, praying that Shikamaru's body would explode into smoke at any moment, revealing an impaled log. But the seconds stretched on, and it became obvious that this was no trick. The first of her fellow rookies was dead, and at the rate they were going, he wouldn't be the last.

She was pulled from her thoughts by a scream of anguish and rage.

Chouji had rushed Kimimaro, and with a fist that was nearly bigger than his own body, connected with an uppercut that should've easily broken the red monster's neck. And indeed, there was a sharp crack of bone meeting bone, and Kimimaro's head flew back so far that his neck almost had to be broken.

But while the monster was still apparently reeling, his arm snapped up in a blur of motion, and there wasn't even time for Chouji to scream in pain as the volley of oversized bone bullets practically tore his body in half.

Kiba dropped bonelessly to his knees as he watched Chouji's remains hit the dirt. Whatever Shikamaru and Chouji had been, they'd deserved better than this. To die side by side at the hands of a monster, all for a bastard like Sasuke... it wasn't fair. Yes, they were ninja, fighting for the right to be promoted, but deep down, no matter what anyone said, Kiba had believed, had known that they were still those goofy kids that made Iruka tear his own hair out. And now two of them were gone, and there was no going back to that lost innocence. They were ninja... and at some point, they were all probably going to die like this. But that didn't mean they were ready to see or experience it.

Sakura was vaguely aware that her heart had stopped, and that what she was currently doing didn't technically count as breathing, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Both of Ino's teammates were now dead.

This, though Sakura didn't know it at the time, went a long way towards explaining the ten foot tall fox that exploded from the stands, a red-black, flaming aura of bloodlust surrounding its body as it went straight for Kimimaro's throat.

* * *

Haku was no stranger to seeing comrades fall in battle. Of course, before Ino, nobody had ever meant as much to him as Zabuza, so watching mostly temporary allies at best lose their lives had only impacted him so much. He'd always fallen back on the fact that he still had Zabuza, and that was all that had mattered then.

Even now, he reminded himself that he still had Ino, and he wasn't about to let her die.

But he also knew that even though Ino still had him, and several others, she wouldn't be thinking about that at the moment. She would only be aware of the fact that two of her closest friends were dead. Haku fully expected her to demand Kimimaro's head on a platter (truthfully, he was already considering the more messy methods of decapitation that Zabuza had taught him).

Ino, however, just stood there, the plans for her complex genjutsu trap dying in her throat as she stared at her fallen teammates. Her face was blank, her eyes wide and damp with unshed tears.

Konkon, however, transformed from an adorable little golden kit into a monstrous, crimson, snarling vixen in the space of a second.

Haku was still new to all of this, but he had a fairly good idea of exactly where Ino's rage had gone.

The beastly fox had growled only one order at him before she leapt from the stands: "Finish the trap."

This was easier said than done. The trap had been entirely Ino's; Haku was just supposed to move within it. So he first needed some kind of response from her to continue the planning. And there was no time to try anything subtle. So Haku did the one thing he was sure would grab Ino's attention.

He took a deep breath, firmly grasped Ino's chin, and turned her head towards him. When there was no visible reaction, he sighed, licked his lips, and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on Ino's lips. After still receiving no reaction, Haku closed his eyes tightly, deepened the kiss, and wrapped an arm around Ino's waist, leaning forward so he could dip her slightly.

When THAT didn't work... he used his tongue.

That DID work.

"MMMMPPPHHH!!" Ino cried against his mouth, flailing her arms wildly.

Haku instantly returned his mistress to her original upright position and backed away.

"HAKU!" she gasped, placing a hand over her pounding heart as her cheeks flushed. "What are you doing?!"

Haku immediately lowered himself to his knees, bowing his head. "Forgive me, Ino-sama, but I got the distinct impression that if I failed to complete the genjutsu trap in a timely manner, Konkon would eat me. You weren't responding, so..."

Ino stared at down at the top of his head, her lips threatening to curve into a giddy smile. That had been... rather nice, actually. She'd have to remember how gifted Haku was in the future. But he'd definitely succeeded: he now had her full attention.

"Right. The trap!" Ino quickly turned back to the field, shocked to see the transformed Konkon battling Kimimaro... and losing, amazingly enough.

Konkon was all rage and no strategy, attacking with powerful swipes and bites. But Kimimaro's body was like steel, and he didn't wound easily. Konkon wasn't going to hurt him, no matter what she tried.

"She's absorbed your rage. All of it," Haku said. "That's why she can only think of attacking him."

Ino blinked. She wasn't angry. At all. She was sad that Shikamaru and Chouji were gone, and determined to avenge them, but beyond that... nothing. It was strange, and troubling, but she would need a clear head for what came next. Konkon had bought them some time, if nothing else.

Frowning, Ino licked her lips, tasted what she assumed was Haku's tongue, and blushed heavily. "Um, okay. Haku-chan, I need you to get... Sakura and Kiba to distract Kimimaro, while either you or Konkon grabs Sasuke. Then move everyone off the field. Otherwise the genjutsu will hit them, too."

"At once, Ino-sama," he replied smartly, moving to obey. He was stopped by the gentle, soothing pressure of Ino's fingertips brushing his cheek.

"And Haku-chan... don't die," Ino murmured. "We need to talk about that kiss. Or at least re-enact it some time..."

Blushing, Haku nodded and quickly stepped through one of his mirrors, instantly reappearing in front of Sakura. At first, he was worried that she might think he was an enemy. But Sakura stared, sniffed the air slightly, and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"So you're my replacement," Sakura commented.

He stared at her uncertainly. "I don't understand..."

"As Ino's best friend, I mean. You smell like her."

Haku shook his head; they were getting off course. "Ino has a plan to keep anyone else from dying, but we'll need your help."

Thankfully, Sakura agreed at once. "So do we get Sasuke, or do you?" Noticing the surprise on Haku's face, she sighed. "I may not be her best friend anymore, but I know how Ino thinks. We're still kunoichi, and that means we might end up working together, like we are now."

"I will secure Sasuke; I believe I am the fastest one here. Ino is preparing a wide scale genjutsu trap, and I am the only one immune to its effects, so you and Kiba will need to leave the field, at least for now. If we should fail, we will at least have created an opening for you to deliver the finishing strike."

"So I need to have Kiba back in fighting form before then," Sakura murmured, sounding doubtful. "This would all be so much easier if Naruto hadn't bailed on me. Where is he, anyway?"

* * *

Naruto woke up to the sounds of battle all around him, as well as a slight groan from Temari, who he was still sprawled on top of. He wanted to believe that she wouldn't have been harmed, or at least not targeted, in Shukaku's reckless charge, but he'd straighten that out with Gaara later.

Surprisingly, the fight on the rooftop was no longer between the Sandaime Hokage and Kankurou's Kazekage puppet. Well, the main fight no longer involved just them, anyway. Orochimaru had now joined the battle, and had even drawn his glowing sword, the Kusanagi, which Naruto had only ever heard about in rumor among Sound-nin.

The Snake Sannin and the Kazekage were doing their best to attack the Sandaime, but were being prevented by what had to be the oddest combo Naruto had ever seen: the long-dead Shodai Hokage, and Hanabi, who was clinging to his back, while at the same time shouting warnings whenever one of their enemies drew too close. As there was usually no time to turn and face all the threats she spotted, the Shodai rarely ever did so, instead using what looked like a hastily borrowed form of Gentle Fist that allowed him to command full-grown trees to burst from the rooftop with a mere gesture. Even more amazing, their system was working: the trees were growing faster than Orochimaru and the Kazekage could hack them all down, and while he wasn't sure, Naruto didn't think dead men had to worry about running out of chakra.

Still, there was a big problem. For one thing, the Sandaime Hokage was down, one of his arms bleeding heavily. There were several thick trees surrounding him, proof that the Shodai had taken some measure to protect him.

The other problem was the wooden coffin resting several feet away. Currently, Tayuya and Iruka were standing guard in front of it, and the familiar form of Karasu was perched on top of it.

Naruto was worried about Hanabi and the Sandaime, but neither was in any immediate danger. He wasn't looking forward to fighting Iruka, either, but it seemed like the only real option. That coffin was giving him a really bad feeling; even Kyuubi seemed to want to destroy it more than he usually wanted to destroy things, and that was saying a lot.

Then Temari gasped, and Naruto's attention immediately shifted to the object of her concern: Gaara.

At least, the thing shuffling towards them was half Gaara at the time. But as the sand-covered, left half of the creature melted away, Naruto did indeed recognize it as Gaara. He looked decidedly uncomfortable, and Naruto could tell that he was either tired, in pain, or both. Although he didn't expect Gaara to say anything of the sort, and he was immediately proven right.

"I have no chakra left," Gaara informed them sourly. It was a little tricky to distinguish his sour tone from, well, how he almost always sounded, but Naruto and Temari had spent enough time around him lately to know the difference. "Also, I don't like him much," Gaara added, glaring at the Shodai.

"Well, he IS protecting Hanabi and the old man," Naruto argued lightly, "so you're not really allowed to hurt him. Also, he's already dead..."

"And so it shouldn't make a difference whether I hurt him or not," Gaara concluded with a sinister smile.

"Yeah," Naruto said slowly, "but MAYBE we should focus on the people who would actually WANT to hurt Hanabi and the old man first."

"Like Kankurou," Temari added bitterly, narrowing her eyes at the Kazekage puppet, then Karasu. "I think it's clear he's chosen the other side."

"If that is his choice," Gaara murmured, "then perhaps we should respect it..."

Temari stared at him in shock. "Gaara...?"

"...by fighting him with every ounce of our strength, so that he will understand that he has chosen the wrong side." Gaara frowned and looked at Naruto. "Unfortunately, while I am best suited to deal with his puppets, I am no match for him in my current state."

"You Leaf-nin should really come better prepared," Naruto commented, shaking his head as he pulled a small container of tiny red pills from a pouch on his waist. "Haven't you ever run out of chakra in a fight before?"

Gaara thought for a moment. "No," he said at last. "And if I did, the fight had already ended in my favor."

Naruto and Temari traded amazed looks before Naruto counted out ten pills and put them in Gaara's hand.

"Isn't that a little much?" Temari asked.

Naruto and Gaara looked at her.

"Never mind..." she sighed as Gaara swallowed the pills in one gulp.

"When I'm really worn out, I have to take at least that much to feel anything," Naruto pointed out reasonably.

"Gaara doesn't have as much chakra as you!" Temari snapped. "NOBODY does!"

"But look, he's... fine?"

Gaara was fine. Wide-eyed, alert, and twitchy, but fine. Sort of.

"So, maybe nine pills next time?" Naruto suggested, laughing weakly as Temari glared at him.

"Just make sure Iruka doesn't kill you, so I can later," Temari growled. "I'll handle Tayuya."

* * *

_Konoha - Stadium - August_

Hinata was one of the strongest kunoichi in her generation.

She was also young, and only had so much experience in combat.

She could not be blamed for certain shortcomings, as some lessons only came with time and experience.

She had been fighting for many minutes now, with few or no pauses in between groups of opponents. Even with her sword Hizashi doing most of the work, her reaction time, as well as the range of her Byakugan, was slipping. On top of all that, she was preoccupied with what would become of Sasuke. Already, she had been helpless to do more than shed silent tears as Shikamaru and Chouji had fallen, but she could not, would not stop fighting until the stream of Sand-nin and Sound-nin slipping into the stadium ended.

Deep down, however, she knew there wouldn't be an end. Not without the intervention of someone with far more chakra than she currently had left.

A kunai flew past her ear, and Hinata quickly spun around to deflect it with her sword, sending the knife flying right at its thrower's knee. The ninja fell with a strangled cry, and that broke off as Hinata kicked him in the face. Before she could spin around again to handle the trio of Sound-nin that had appeared behind her, she caught a blur of white slipping into her blind spot, and then her attackers vanished in a huge fireball, leaving nothing but blackened bones behind.

Hinata paused, only to gasp as Rei leaped in front of her, burying a kunai deep into the forehead of Sand-nin wielding a katana. Rei yanked the sword from him and used it to cut off another Sand-nin's head.

"Please continue fighting just a little longer, Hinata-sama," Rei murmured, placing her back to Hinata's. "I will defend you with everything I have." She was no longer required to address Hinata in that way, but she'd been threatened with punishment for doing anything less for years now, so it was understandably a hard habit to break.

"I didn't know you knew any Katon jutsu, Rei-san," Hinata commented, still very much surprised. She'd actually thought it was Sasuke coming to save for, for a moment.

Rei glanced over her shoulder at Hinata, and Hinata got the definite feeling that Rei was glaring at her. "My family burned to death in a Katon jutsu, Hinata-sama. I never use any."

Hinata frowned. "But... then who?" She could've sworn that the white blur had been Rei's familiar tiger mask.

High up in the nosebleed section of the stadium, Kurenai eyed Itachi curiously as he returned to the cover of the genjutsu that kept her and anyone near her from being detected in any way. Itachi clearly noticed the way she was staring at him, but being Itachi, was not about to offer a reason for his actions unless pushed.

Finally, Kurenai could contain her curiosity no longer. "You saved Hinata," she said. "Why? You said you would kill her."

"I said I wanted to test myself against her matured powers," Itachi corrected. "I can't do that if she is killed before they mature."

Kurenai shook her head. "I swear I'll never understand you."

"If you did, I'd have to kill you."

"Is it really necessary to threaten my life every hour, on the hour?"

Itachi glanced at her, and even if he hadn't been wearing that ANBU tiger mask, Kurenai knew his face would be unreadable. "Force of habit, I suppose. But I really would do it, so stop asking questions."

* * *

Kimimaro was growing bored. This was rarely ever a good thing for anyone nearby.

The overgrown fox was a predictable but persistent opponent. She had no substantial attacks or tactics, and yet she could clearly fight for hours. He had broken her body several times, and each time, she got back up, the injuries repairing themselves within seconds.

For his part, Kimimaro estimated he could fight just as long as she could. His new body was so powerful that strict taijutsu alone, with no usage of chakra at all, was enough to kill most opponents he came across. Unfortunately, Kimimaro had neither the time nor the desire to keep battling the fox. He needed to deliver Sasuke to Orochimaru. He could no longer allow himself to be stalled by these children.

After all, an Uchiha wouldn't stay knocked out for too long, not with all the fighting going on around them. They were surprisingly like the Kaguya in that respect, although not quite as obvious with their insanity.

Making up his mind, Kimimaro delivered one last punishing uppercut to the fox's neck, smirking in satisfaction as the bone spikes on his knuckles tore open long gashes in her throat. It wouldn't stop her for long, but he'd noticed that hits to vital areas delayed her recovery slightly.

He'd only taken one step when something cold and wet landed on his nose. Blinking, Kimimaro looked up to see snow, of all things, falling from the now darkened sky. Taking into consideration Konoha's warm climate, this was as impossible as it was suspicious. Combined with the sudden disappearance of the genin and the fox, Kimimaro instantly knew that he was under the effects of a genjutsu.

Of course, like most aspects of the ninja world, simply knowing about a genjutsu does not actually defeat it, and Kimimaro was well on his way to doing so when he ran into the first problem with his new body. Sakon and Ukon were still alive within him, although in the vaguest possible sense of the word. Kimimaro supplied them only with the base instinct to survive, and so they usually only did what was necessary to keep the body going strong. It was only with their help that he had shrugged off Shikamaru's kinjutsu like it was nothing: they were far too familiar with quickly replacing and rearranging cells to take much lasting damage. It was not healing, exactly, but literally the growing of new cells, and shedding the old, damaged ones, all within the space of a few seconds. As rapidly as Kimimaro grew new bones, the twins were kept quite busy supplying him with new cells.

But this still left Kimimaro with three minds in his body, even if two were only working at half-capacity. And because he had not yet experimented in applying anything other than his forceful will on those two minds, they were ill-prepared to deal with genjutsu, both because of their weakened state, and because they had quickly gotten used to taking orders. They didn't even realize that it wasn't Kimimaro dulling their senses, although they did find it odd that he was getting cold right along with them.

So despite his best attempts to break the genjutsu, the falling temperature rapidly began to take its toll on Kimimaro. He gritted his teeth as the cold set in, and took another step forward, only to slip slightly as he found the ground now covered in a sheet of ice. Telling himself that it was just another part of the genjutsu, he kept going, scanning the stadium for any sign of attack.

"I never thought I would see you again, Kaguya Kimimaro," said a voice behind him.

Instead of spinning around, Kimimaro glanced over his shoulder. He was somewhat surprised to see a vaguely familiar boy standing there. Even with the genjutsu in effect, he should have detected the boy sooner.

"Nor did I, apprentice of Zabuza. But I suppose I really will have to kill you this time."

"You are more than welcome to try," Haku replied, drawing three senbon from his sleeve. "But those genin you just killed were friends of mine. And I am under orders to cause you as much pain as possible before I kill you. So please, take this all personally."

Kimimaro slowly turned to face Haku, and immediately ran into another problem. The moment he stopped moving, he found his feet had grown numb. A glance down showed that his feet were frozen over in thick ice, and that the rest of his body was quickly following suit. Within seconds, Kimimaro was encased up to his neck. He knew that strength alone would not free him: after all, this was still genjutsu. There was no point in resisting with muscles. What he needed was to find a way to better communicate with Sakon and Ukon.

He didn't expect Haku to give him the time necessary for that, though, and sure enough, Kimimaro was quickly surrounded on all sides by several ice mirrors, each with the reflection of a grim-faced Haku holding senbon between each finger. Staring into the boy's eyes, Kimimaro had a very strong suspicion that what followed would be immensely painful, but nothing his new and improved body couldn't handle without progressing to the second level of his cursed seals. After all, it would be foolish to unleash his ultimate power so early, without knowing if there would be a real need for it. Anyway, the transformation alone would surely occupy the minds of the twins so much that they would easily be pulled from the genjutsu's effects.

Kimimaro was only half right in his assumptions. After the senbon landed in the thick ice (more than a few being positioned over vital spots), Haku's hands began to glow and crackle with blue electricity, and the lightning bolts that flew from them were instantly drawn to the metal needles. Kimimaro did not question how the electricity penetrated the ice: he was in far too much pain to think clearly at that point. All he could do was let out a roar of agony that froze anyone who heard it.

It was only when the blue lightning died away that Kimimaro slowly began to realize that the genjutsu was starting to break down. At least, the sun was once again visible in the sky. For some reason, the ice that imprisoned him, as well as the senbon stuck in it, and even the ice-covered ground, remained.

"Not everything that happens in genjutsu is fake," whispered a feminine voice in his ear. "This is for Chouji and Shika."

That was all Kimimaro heard before twin kunai were jammed directly into his eyes.

* * *

Haku grimaced as Kimimaro's roars of pain renewed themselves. He hadn't known that Ino could be so cold, but then Kimimaro had killed their friends. It was the least he deserved.

Ino hopped down from her perch on Kimimaro's ice-encased shoulders, landing lightly in Haku's arms. He couldn't safely put her down, not while the ground was still covered in ice. Only he could maneuver across ice with such ease. Konkon had obviously realized this, because neither human was surprised when a Haku clone skated up to them with a somewhat strange foxy grin on its face, as well as the coffin containing Sasuke on its back.

"We should kill Kimimaro," Haku said suddenly, and there was little if any emotion in his voice. He was not thinking as a friend out for vengeance, but as a shinobi. Kimimaro was just too dangerous to leave alive, even wounded as he was, for now.

"I don't know any jutsu that would kill him for sure," Ino admitted with a frown. "If he could just brush off what Shika did, then..."

"I have something," Haku offered. "If he could survive it, then he might be beyond my ability to kill as well. I can't imagine that anyone could survive it, though."

"Is it painful?" Ino asked softly.

"He would see his own heart crushed before his dying eyes," Haku replied.

"Sounds good," Konkon said with a low whistle.

"Konkon, would you take Sasuke to Sakura?" Ino asked. "He might need to be healed before he can help out."

"Actually, I have a better idea," Konkon said. A large puff of smoke erupted from her feet, and when it cleared, Sakura was revealed, her hands glowing with greenish, healing chakra as she easily lifted the coffin over her head. "I figure she's low on chakra by now, anyway."

"And you aren't?" Ino asked in shock. "How much chakra DO you have?"

Konkon blinked slowly, as if she'd never thought to check. "Good question. I'll let you know if I ever figure it out..."

* * *

If there was one thing Naruto hated, it was enemies who thought to bring reinforcements. He and Temari had based their plan on that idea that each of them would be taking care of Iruka and Tayuya individually, while Gaara handled Kankurou.

Naturally, Iruka or Tayuya (or maybe it was both of them, Naruto still wasn't clear on that part) had quickly summoned two HUGE demon thugs to aid them. And while these demons weren't exactly of the fifty-foot tall variety, they were still fairly massive (maybe about thirteen feet) and solidly built (to the point where trading blows with them wasn't a sane option). Even worse, they came with weapons, and were surprisingly fast for their size.

The demon assigned to Iruka, which was apparently named Sanrei, carried a metal club about as long as his own arm. If Sanrei had eyes, they were concealed beneath the shaggy, brown hair that also hid his entire head.

The other demon, Dojin, was a slightly greater threat, in that both of his powerful arms had large, bone claws tied to them. Despite being blindfolded, he had no problem slashing or smashing anything that came near him or Tayuya to pieces.

Of course, Iruka and Tayuya weren't just standing there watching (although with how aggressive the demons were, they could've done so easily).

Tayuya was constantly trying to catch Temari in genjutsu, but was having no luck. Despite being outnumbered, Temari kept one eye on Tayuya at all times, and quickly cancelled out any incoming genjutsu with a mere wave of her fan. This also meant that she took some serious hits from Dojin as a result, but even a barely dodged, glancing hit was better than a full hit after being paralyzed by genjutsu (especially with Dojin's claws to consider). But Temari, like Gaara, was running on soldier pills after their match, so when her adrenaline and chakra ran out, she'd be in serious trouble.

Iruka was a far more dangerous opponent, alone or paired up with Sanrei. His weapon of choice looked like a long, steel rod at first glance. But every time it hit Naruto, along with the expected impact, he also got a mild electrical shock. Common sense warned him that the longer it touched him, the less mild the shock would become. However, the pair timed their movements so that if Naruto tried to stay out of Iruka's reach, he would only be moving into Sanrei's. Iruka was faster, but Sanrei hit MUCH harder, although the demon was slightly easier to dodge.

Gaara looked to be having the most success, or at least he was taking the least damage. He and the Kazekage seemed to be largely equal in their control of sand: neither could overpower the other, and while each tried different attacks, the other always came up with an effective defense or counter. Karasu had been left to guard the final coffin, for now.

But none of the situations could keep going in their favor for long, and since Naruto was the one with Kyuubi sealed in him, he figured it was his job to turn things around. Before he could help anyone else, though, he needed to deal with Iruka and Sanrei.

"Sanrei is a demon," Naruto muttered, "but he's a summon, too. Enough damage, and he goes up in smoke. Then I just rush Iruka with clones, and send a couple to help Temari. Just need to buy some time, get some distance so I can form the clones."

Smirking, Naruto bit three fingers and smeared the blood across his neck. An instant later, Meg, Shiden, and Seikon all poked their heads out of his collar. "Ladies, I'm gonna need you to split up for this one. Shiden, you block for me. Meg, go help Temari. Seikon, grab the first medic-nin you see and drag them here if you have to."

Without a word, the three weasels flew into action. Meg turned into a white streak as she slammed into Dojin's head, knocking him away from Temari. Shiden hopped onto Naruto's head, releasing a bright purple barrier that held up admirably to Sanrei's strikes. Seikon merely flew back towards the stadium, already having a certain medic-nin in mind.

Shiden's defense, however timely, was a temporary measure at best, and Iruka knew it. He'd been watching Naruto long enough to know that each weasel specialized in just one element, and that Naruto had chosen Shiden to back him up solely to deal with Iruka's electric attacks. It was unlikely that any one weasel could stand up to Sanrei's brute strength for more than a few moments, and Iruka planned to take advantage of that.

"Sanrei!" he barked, drawing the demon's attention. "Let's do a little dance for our friends!"

With a grunt of acknowledgment, Sanrei leaped high into the air, raising his club over his head.

Naruto watched in confusion as Iruka raised the steel rod to his mouth. It was only then that he realized that the weapon had yet another purpose. "It's a flute, too!"

Iruka smirked. "Close, Uzumaki. It's a demon pipe, and you won't like what comes out of it." With that, he brought the pipe to his lips and shouted, "Oni Bunshin!" (Demon Clone) What came out of the pipe, however, was a horrific screech that could only be some demonic dialect. Whatever it was, Sanrei responded accordingly, because the next thing Naruto knew, there were three copies of Sanrei plummeting towards him and Shiden.

"That's not good, is it?" Shiden whimpered.

"Nope," Naruto answered with a grimace. "Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique) Shiden's protective purple bubble popped as many Naruto clones burst from it. Several tossed themselves at the approaching demon trio, if for no other reason than to serve as distractions before they were bashed out of existence.

Iruka's gaze scanned the mass of clones, searching for the real one. His first instinct was to target the one Naruto that stayed furthest from the demons, but none did. Then he spotted the one thing that only the original Naruto would have: Shiden. "Sanrei, get the one with the weasel! None of the others matter!"

Sanrei and his two clones immediately rushed the only Naruto with a weasel on his head, only to grunt in confusion when that one popped after only one hit. Shiden stuck her tongue out at them before zipping away in a streak of purple.

"Here's a free piece of advice, big guy!" every clone of Naruto growled as they surrounded the three copies of Sanrei. "Never turn your back on a Shadow Clone!" As one, each Shadow Clone raised both hands, revealing twin Kaze Kyuu. Then every clone vanished, only to appear overhead an instant later, launching the glowing balls of wind chakra at the three stunned demon clones. The balls all fused together, forming a giant sphere prison around the demons.

Iruka went for his demon pipe, only to have it turn into a grinning Naruto that punched him in the face.

"Sorry, were you using that? I found a better use for it!"

A quick glance revealed another Shadow Clone's use for the demon pipe: confusing Dojin into attacking Tayuya, who quickly had her own flute crushed beneath Dojin's fist. Growling in fury, Iruka immediately abandoned Sanrei to attack the Naruto with the demon pipe.

"And that just leaves you, big guy!" the mass of Naruto clones chuckled at the imprisoned Sanrei. Three of them stepped forward with identical spinning orbs of chakra. "I don't know how tough demon clones are, but I bet they can't stand up to this! Triple Rasengan!"

Curiously, though the Kaze Kyuu prison had been strong enough to hold in three confused but powerful demons, it parted easily for each Rasengan, almost as if the two had been made for each other. And despite no longer being under Naruto's direct control, the spinning winds of the Kaze Kyuu still guided each Rasengan unerringly to a different Sanrei, destroying the three demons on impact with mighty explosions.

There was no time to celebrate, though. By the time the smoke cleared, the first sight that met Naruto's eyes was Dojin once again advancing on Temari, although much slower than before. He was blindfolded, and his ears might be telling him one thing, but his nose was telling him something else. He was smart enough not to attack the two scents most familiar to him, which only left the one scent he wasn't familiar with: Temari's.

"Crap!" Naruto muttered as his army of clones rushed to help his sister.

By then, though, Iruka had managed to snatch his pipe back, and unfortunately, Sanrei wasn't the only demon it worked on. "Kousen no Mai!" (Dance of War) Iruka yelled into the pipe, producing another unearthly shriek.

Dojin went into a rapid tornado spin and zoomed straight into the crowd of Naruto clones, his claws and fists shredding and battering them into puffs of smoke. Then he sharply changed direction and headed straight for Temari, gaining speed as he ripped across the rooftop.

Naruto was rushing to take the hit for Temari when Iruka's fist smashed into his cheek. It was a clean, solid hit, and Naruto hadn't seen it coming, but he could tell that something was off. He saw stars, and for some reason, he felt strangely weak. No matter how strong Iruka was, one punch shouldn't have done all of that. All Naruto knew as he fell to his knees, stunned, was that he wouldn't reach Temari in time.

Meg did, however, and formed a hasty protective bubble around Temari just as Dojin was inches away from connecting.

Temari was running on empty, and her chakra was just about gone. Meg had only just started to fight. Temari was a true strategist, and knew that while she wouldn't be able to offer much more help to Naruto and the others, Meg would, assuming she survived this encounter. That meant the weasel was the more valuable soldier, and needed to be protected. At any cost.

Everyone watching was shocked when Temari grabbed Meg and hurled the weasel at the dazed Naruto. The protective bubble instantly vanished, and Naruto could only watch in horror as Temari smiled weakly at him before Dojin caught her with a powerful backhand, sending her body flying limply over the edge of the rooftop.

"TEMARI!!" Naruto screamed at the top of his lungs. Whatever force had been paralyzing him was forgotten as Naruto lunged to his feet, his eyes blood red as Kyuubi's chakra began to flood his body. He'd only taken a single step when another huge chakra source flared up nearby, rivaling even Kyuubi's in its maliciousness.

It was Iruka. A black, pebbly pattern was rapidly spreading across every inch of his exposed skin, especially his arms, which had become coated in a thick, black, stone-like substance. "Big mistake, Uzumaki," Iruka whispered, his voice sounding deep and gravelly.

Naruto hesitated only for a moment, and then Iruka was on him, smashing a huge forearm across his face. Now Naruto knew precisely what he'd felt earlier as he fell to the rooftop. Every time Iruka touched him, Kyuubi's chakra reacted, and not in a good way. Iruka was slowly but surely stealing the fox's chakra, and Naruto feared that this new rocky skin would help the man absorb it without being burned. That meant that Naruto's only chance was to fight without Kyuubi's help, but he couldn't help but draw on the fox when he was upset over Temari.

"You can't fight him angry like this," Meg whispered in Naruto's ear. "You'll only waste chakra."

"Don't worry, I've got a plan," Naruto murmured. "You go make sure Temari's okay. That's the only way I can focus here."

"Okay... but don't get dead!" Meg gave him a whiskery kiss on his cheek before disappearing over the edge of the roof.

"So the fox is no good here, huh?" Naruto muttered as he turned back to Iruka. "That's fine. If he was the only weapon I had, I'd be dead already."

"You'll pay for that one later, brat," Kyuubi growled into his head.

"Shut it, you know I'm right! Or did you forget that little incident with Kisame?"

"Hell no, I didn't, and that was YOUR stupidity. I was too smart to let him have my chakra. YOU were the one charging in like a fool. So I just hope you have a decent plan this time. You're representing me here, you know, so the least you could do is make him scream like a girl. I miss that sound..."

Naruto didn't plan on complying with Kyuubi's wish, but only because he planned to tear Iruka's throat out or worse for hurting Temari. With barely any effort at all, he formed a Rasengan in his right hand and rushed at Iruka, a primal roar flying from his lips.

Iruka's eyes narrowed, and the rocks surrounding his right forearm quickly reshaped themselves into a sharp spear. He calmly stepped into Naruto's charge, driving the spear directly through the boy's belly. It would've been smarter to aim for the heart, but more than anything at the moment, he wanted to watch the boy suffer through a long, agonizing death.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock as blood flew from his mouth at the sudden, jarring impact. The Rasengan in his hand faded away, and he hung limply on Iruka's arm, his body shaking slightly as his eyes rolled up into his head... and then began to glow with an almost electric blue light.

Iruka barely had time to gasp as a blue aura surrounded Naruto's body. He'd been watching the boy long enough to know the telltale signs of his wind spirit's presence, but he had never seen it come without Naruto first calling it.

There was an unearthly shriek of rage as Arashi's humanoid form drifted out of Naruto's body like a ghost, hovering just over the boy's head. With a look that promised nothing but pain, he flexed his clawlike fingers and shoved them into Iruka's chest.

Iruka felt as if white-hot knives had just slammed into him. Despite everything he knew about Naruto, they had not planned for this. The idea was to get Naruto so angry that he couldn't think straight, and then to take him down in his vulnerable state. It was assumed that the wind spirit would not be a factor if Naruto were unable to call it.

But Arashi was not so unlike a summon in that he held a certain fondness for his summoner. Wind spirits did not take on friends easily or often, but Arashi had been impressed by Naruto's determination, as well as his curse. He could always sense Kyuubi's power, just under the surface, and secretly, he wanted to be just as powerful. Not because he was jealous, or even because he was evil, but because he wanted Naruto to depend on him before the fox. Arashi wanted to be Naruto's power of choice, to be by the boy's side in all things. Really, he would not have been opposed to being sealed in Kyuubi's place under certain conditions, if it meant he would always be able to defend Naruto.

In terms of enemies, however, a wind spirit's thoughts were fairly simple. Arashi never held back unless Naruto asked him to, and beyond that, he would do anything to put his foes down, even kill them. But the only way to assure death at a wind spirit's hands was to either insult them, or harm their summoner.

Iruka had just tried to kill Naruto. And with Naruto unable to give Arashi an order, the wind spirit was free to do whatever he wanted to Iruka. At the time, the most fitting thing seemed to be finishing the attack that Naruto had started, although with Arashi's own style added to it.

As a shinobi, Iruka had endured enormous amounts of pain before. With enough incentive, he could probably fight his way through anything just shy of dismemberment.

But what happened to him in the next few moments was so much worse.

The only thing that saved Iruka's life was that wind spirits could not perform jutsu themselves. If they could've, he had no doubt that Arashi would plunged a Rasengan directly into his heart. But Arashi was limited, if only because he only understood so much human language. Still, he could mimic movements, and as his claws dug deeper into Iruka's chest, and then began to spin at high speed, carving out an ever-widening hole, there were no words, in any language, to describe the pain that Iruka experienced.

Although the growled, furious parody of a word that Arashi spat at him, which came out somewhere along the lines of "Rrrrrsnnguhhh!" was something that Iruka would never forget.

By the time Arashi was done, there was a gaping hole in Iruka's abdomen, so wide that one could easily see through him.

Satisfied with his work, Arashi yanked Iruka's spear arm out of Naruto and tossed the Sound-nin away with total disregard. He carefully laid Naruto down on the roof, his eyes locked on the similar hole in the boy's belly. It was nowhere near as large as the one in Iruka, and this was already rapidly healing, thanks to Kyuubi.

In his concern for his summoner, Arashi had overlooked the fact that Tayuya, although slightly damaged, now had Iruka's demon pipe, and one fully functional demon left in the form of Dojin. With a quick tune, she ordered Dojin to carefully grab the wounded Iruka, wincing as she got a better look at how hurt he was. "Fuckers," she growled. "I'll teach you to mess with my shithead."

Once Iruka was safe, Tayuya willed her cursed seal into action, allowing it to spread over her entire body. Soon she was barely recognizable as herself, but that was unimportant. She could feel the power coursing through her body, and welcomed it. Turning to Dojin, Tayuya snapped, "Kill the brat and his fucking ghost friend or don't bother coming back!"

Had she been thinking clearly, she might have been startled by the fact that Dojin nodded, showing that, for the first time, he understood her commands without the use of a flute. Whether this was because Iruka had trained him to, or because her current form was more demonic than anything else, Tayuya would have time to figure out later. Tightening her grip on Iruka's demon pipe, Tayuya stomped towards the edge of the roof, intent on finishing what she'd started with Temari.

No one noticed that the gaping hole in Iruka's chest was steadily healing as his cursed seal pulsed in time with his heartbeat.

* * *

Tsunade was more than a little stressed. It seemed like every Sound-nin had orders to take her out, or at least to make an honest attempt. She had to applaud the fact that they'd wised up and only attacked her in large groups now. Maybe they'd watched one too many of their comrades get their skulls crushed with a single punch... and the smarter ones would've realized that was when Tsunade wasn't using chakra at all.

On top of that, Tsunade had lost Shizune in the midst of all the chaos. Shizune was a match for any jounin, though, and if she ran into trouble, as much as Tsunade hated to admit it, Kabuto's blood would be her trump card. Still, Tsunade had much preferred it when Shizune had been fighting back to back with her. It wasn't that either of them needed the help, but there was something to be said for drawing strength from trusted comrades.

Naturally, Tsunade very nearly swung around to attack when something soft and furry landed on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, Tsunade-sama, but I am Seikon, and my summoner wishes me to inform you that the Sandaime Hokage requires your expertise," the weasel said calmly.

Tsunade eyed the weasel with some suspicion, especially when she noticed the Suna headband around its neck. Then her memory kicked in. "Wait. You're with the Kyuubi kid, right?"

"Yes, but even if I was not, the Hokage would still be in danger. Please follow me to-"

Both of them froze as an immensely powerful chakra source suddenly blazed into existence nearby.

"That's coming from the stadium," Tsunade murmured with a frown. "But I don't recognize it. Tell me, how badly hurt is the Hokage?"

Seikon sighed, sensing where this was going. "Mostly blood loss from a few large cuts, but... I suppose he is the Hokage for a reason, and he was well-protected from what I saw."

"This is war," Tsunade said grimly as she bent down to wipe off her bloody hands on the uniform of a dead Sound-nin. "If he can't make it five more minutes, well... maybe it wasn't meant to be." Her eyes narrowed, and she bit her lip. "Again."

"Consider me at your service for the time being, Tsunade-sama. I am sure Naruto-kun won't mind the wait too much. Quality medic-nin are in short supply, and one cannot expect the best to come at once."

Tsunade grunted as she bit her thumb. "You can start by telling me who just unleashed all that power, and which side they're on."

"That would be Haku from the Cloud team," Seikon replied. "He is an ally."

"Mine or yours?" Tsunade countered, smearing the blood on the ground at her feet.

"Either. He would not want the Hokage to perish."

"Fair enough." Tsunade slapped her hand against the blood smear. "Aya-chan!"

A large column of smoke erupted from the ground, and when it cleared, a black slug slightly larger than Tsunade herself was revealed. "How may I be of service, Tsunade-sama?" the slug asked in soft, hesitant tone.

"I need to get over to stadium quickly," Tsunade said, pointing to the location.

"Of course, Tsunade-sama, right away!"

Tsunade glanced at Seikon. "Oh, you may want to cover your nose and mouth for this part."

"Why would... ah." Seikon did as suggested, mere seconds before Aya swallowed them both whole, then launched her black body high into air, heading straight for the stadium. Instead of merely allowing gravity to pull her down, however, Aya changed direction abruptly and slammed into ground inside the stadium, her body exploding into a large puddle of black sludge. Tsunade stood at the center of impact, curiously sludge-free. Seikon was not quite as fortunate, and was absolutely drenched.

"Oh, sorry about that," Tsunade murmured. "Must be because you didn't sign the contract." Any further apology she might've made was lost as she finally got a good look at the powerful chakra source she'd felt moments earlier.

The Cloud-nin in question was standing in place as what looked like a dragon made of ice was shooting from his arm, on a collision course with a red monster trapped in an ice block.

"Well, THAT makes perfect sense." Her gaze shifted to take in the rest of the stadium, lingering on the bodies of the two fallen genin. "Damn. So much for Ino-Shika-Cho being good luck. But where's the third one?"

"Over by the medic station with the others, trying to revive the Uchiha," Seikon said, after coughing up a bit of sludge.

Tsunade winced as she spotted them, but couldn't help feeling some small sense of pride. All of the genin looked pretty beat up, but they would live, and most would be able to return to battle that same day. They were all crowded around Sasuke, and were taking turns trying to wake him up. Mostly they'd just resorted to slapping him none too gently, apparently having been at it for some time. Tsunade couldn't deny there had been plenty of times in the past when she would've loved to play a round of "Slap the Uchiha" herself.

"Alright, give him some air," Tsunade ordered as she walked over, shooing them out of her way. "If he hasn't woken up after all of that, nothing you can do will help."

"Can you wake him up, Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, but from the looks of that bump on his head, it wouldn't be a good idea. He'd be disoriented, and the last thing any of us needs right now is to babysit him while he tries to figure out if we're friend or foe, and he'd be attacking us all the while. Better to just let him wake up on his own. Now what happened here?"

"That thing," Kiba said, his voice thick with loathing, "killed Shikamaru and Chouji. Ino managed to slow him down long enough for Haku to trap him, and now we're trying to find a way to finish him off. But even when we did manage to hurt him, it just healed right away. Haku's been ripping out his heart for ten minutes now, but even that doesn't work."

"I see." Tsunade turned to Seikon. "I'm going to need a Byakugan for this one."

"Will we do?" a voice asked.

Tsunade turned to see Hinata and Rei walking over. Both were splashed with blood, but most of it was clearly not theirs. "Yes. Take a look at Big Red over there, tell me if there's anything unusual about his body."

Rei turned her head just as Haku renewed his attack. "His bones and skin are like steel, he has three hearts, and... what looks like three brains, and only one of them is even inside of his head. Apparently he can shift them throughout his body to avoid damage. And even when they take damage, he can repair them in mere seconds."

"Any recommendations, then?"

"I'm guessing if we could remove or destroy all of his brains and hearts simultaneously, he would die. But it takes so much power just to pierce his body in one spot that it's almost impossible."

"You'll find that very little is impossible for a properly prepared ninja," Tsunade replied. "A defense that good has to have drawbacks. It's probably a bloodline limit, and even if it isn't, it has to be taxing on chakra, no matter how much he has. Take away his chakra, and his defense goes with it. Fortunately, we have two capable Hyuuga right here."

"But even we cannot seal chakra points through ice, Tsunade-sama," Rei pointed out reasonably.

"I don't expect you to. We're going to release him from the ice." Tsunade smiled confidently as she noticed the panicked looks the genin were exchanging. "Don't worry, I am going to make sure he's in no condition to effectively attack us before that. But as fast as his body recovers, you'll only have a few seconds to seal off every chakra point he has. Normally, that would result in death, but I'd be shocked if it did more than slow him down. Once his defense is gone, we'll go for the hearts."

As far as on the spot plans went, it was a good one. But both Hinata and Rei had already spotted a major weak spot, even though they weren't about to mention it. Kimimaro's body was so large that the only possible way to seal off all of his chakra points in just a few seconds was for two Hyuuga to do it side by side. And if there was one thing Hyuuga were NOT trained to do, EVER, it was work side by side. The clan had always promoted individual strength, pitting them against each other. The only Hyuuga that had ever gained any experience working together were always unusually close, which in itself was a rarity: there were no famous Hyuuga duos for a reason (mainly, the clan split any potential pairs before they came of age).

The situation was not hopeless, however. Every Hyuuga trained in the Gentle Fist style, and while the execution varied at least slightly from person to person, depending on body type, chakra control, experience, and which house they were born into, virtually any two Hyuuga of similar age generally had remotely similar styles. While this of course did not apply in the case of Hinata and Rei, Rei had been around Hinata long enough (both in the past and recently) to be familiar with the girl's combat preferences. But they had still never attacked a common enemy together, and were very likely to get in each other's way.

Still, they were going to try. Every time doubt began to rear its head in Hinata's mind, she would recall that haunting expression on Shikamaru's face as he died: an agonizing mix of confusion, disbelief, and finally, grim acceptance. He had known exactly what he was doing, and the only real surprise there was that Kimimaro had killed the Nara before his own kinjutsu could. Shikamaru's way would've been cleaner, at least, and somewhat easier for them to witness.

"I will take the left side, Hinata-sama," Rei volunteered softly, in hopes of making their task simpler.

Hinata nodded her thanks, but said nothing. She was now watching Haku, who was clearly slowing down, having used quite a bit of chakra in summoning his ice dragon. The dragon had focused its power and drilled through each of Kimimaro's hearts at least twice now, but in the time it took to circle around and drill through the body again, the heart had already grown back in a different place. Fortunately, the ice block imprisoning Kimimaro was also repairing itself after each pass, but that was a small comfort at best.

"We have to win here, Rei-san," Hinata murmured, glancing over at Sasuke's still form. "To protect our family."

Rei did not reply. She was trying to figure out exactly which family Hinata was referring to: Hanabi, Sasuke, the Hyuuga Clan, the village, or even just the two of them. Personally, she preferred the latter, as everyone else was a bit much to deal with on a regular basis.

* * *

Orochimaru was one of the most infamous and powerful ninja alive. His ability to continuously gather willing bodies to his cause meant that he would always be able to replenish his army quickly, even overnight if it came to that. He was, quite simply, an evil genius.

And, when he truly wanted something, and beyond that, felt he deserved it... was more impatient than a two-year old child.

For years, Orochimaru had plotted the downfall of Konoha, and the death of his former sensei, not because it amused him, or even because he could. No, he had done it all because he saw it as his right to burn Konoha to the ground, to watch the light leave Sarutobi's eyes, to have sweet vengeance on the village that had created and betrayed him (trying to limit the potential of one of the Sannin was a crime most foul, in his mind).

Orochimaru had waited years for that moment... and now that it was so close, and yet was still being denied him, he found that the little patience he had left was running out. All because of a little Hyuuga brat and a dead Hokage that should've been following HIS orders, anyway.

Perhaps it would've been wiser to summon more Hokages, or just different ones. But Edo Tensei was not a jutsu to be used lightly or without careful planning. Orochimaru had finally chosen the Shodai and Uchiha Madara purely for their combined destructive potential. With his Mokuton jutsu, the Shodai could unmake the village, just as he'd created it. It would be so poetic, to watch the mighty trees of Konoha wither and die as Sarutobi did the same.

And Madara could rend time and space, burn the village from the inside-out, and fan the flames so that every man, woman, and child found nothing but prolonged, agonizing deaths, their screams mingling perfectly with the black smoke.

It would all be so beautiful.

And he would wait no longer.

"You are not worth my time or effort," Orochimaru said softly, glaring into the Shodai Hokage's eyes. "And however effective you may think your little... team, your partner is still a mere child, not even a genin... and a better target than I could've ever asked for..."

Instantly, the Shodai raised his guard, seeking to protect Hanabi from Orochimaru's next attack.

But there are some attacks that simply cannot be guarded against, not without valuable experience that can only be gained in the heat of true battle. And this was Hanabi's first real taste of combat. Even with a Hokage on her side, to even dare to look at the Snake Sannin was to both risk and invite death.

A maniacal giggle trickled out of Orochimaru's mouth as he reached up and tore off his face.

Hanabi's blood froze in her veins as she stared into a twisted, deranged parody of her mother's face. But that was true genius behind Orochimaru's many faces. Even if you knew beforehand that they were false, that the people they represented were long dead and gone, still they held power over the heart, mind, and soul.

Orochimaru did not simply look as if he had put on Hyuuga Hotaru's face. No, so masterful was his mask, for a few terrible seconds, Hanabi actually believed that she was fighting her mother. The shock from that alone would've been enough to stop the girl in her tracks. But when combined with an overwhelming dose of Orochimaru's killing intent, there was nothing for Hanabi to do but scream.

What Orochimaru did next would've shocked any of his past opponents. But he had been a part of Konoha long enough to know the mind of a Hokage. Orochimaru knew that he had no reason to fear an attack from the Shodai at that moment. For no Hokage, even a dead one, would continue to attack when a child of the Leaf cried out for help. So the Snake Sannin merely turned his back and walked towards the last coffin, where he pulled off the lid, and sank his special kunai into the body of Uchiha Madara.

Almost as an afterthought, Orochimaru replaced his face with that of a random Uchiha he'd long since tortured to death in the name of research, complete with a slashed Leaf headband. "Awaken, Madara-sama. Those who cast you aside cry out for death, and they should not be kept waiting for your terrible vengeance."

Slowly, the eyes of Madara opened, blazing with the unholy light of the single pair of permanent Mangekyou Sharingan eyes in existence. They considered Orochimaru's stolen face only briefly, and then the Uchiha ancestor stepped out of his coffin, gazing at the drastically changed landscape of his village. Nothing he saw even faintly resembled the Konoha from his memories.

That would only make it easier when he reduced it all to ashes.

* * *

_Gates of Konoha - August_

Konoha's strategy for dealing with invaders was a bit misleading, at least if you were on the invading side.

The first part was to ensure the safety of civilians and children by directing them to shelters located throughout the village. Quite frankly, such people made for easy targets, and it was best to get them out of combat zones so that they would not fall to friendly fire.

Once that was done, the second part was to expel the invaders through any possible means. By that point, the invaders would've gotten cocky, or at least confused, by the little resistance they'd met as they ventured deeper into the village. They would assume that the Leaf was weak and unprepared.

Because only a Leaf-nin would know the true genius behind the invasion countermeasures. A spider does not kill its victims before they enter its web, after all. Instead, it waits for the victim to become trapped in its home, and only then does the spider strike.

The invasion countermeasures were rather effective, as one could safely assume from the bodies of bloody and scorched Sand and Sound-nin piling up just outside of the gates of Konoha. Most had been killed in a single surprise attack: engulfed by a Katon jutsu as they ran down a deserted street, caught in a barrage of shuriken as they inspected a fallen comrade, or impaled upon an ANBU's sword as they got too close to a restricted area. Leaf-nin in general were not completely merciless, and anyway, there was no time to be creative or torturous in their methods: most realized that even as they successfully killed an invader, somewhere else, their comrades could be meeting the same fate, so quick kills were the method of choice.

In sharp contrast, the ultimate goal of the Sand-nin was to weaken Konoha's forces by killing as many Leaf-nin as possible. They were most interested in reducing Konoha's military might, so that Suna could once again rise up as one of the great powers in the ninja world.

The Sound-nin, however, had been commanded to cause as much destruction as possible. Orochimaru was not interested in a weak Konoha, but in an obliterated one. Very few Sound-nin feared death in battle, simply because they knew that failure, assuming they survived, would be rewarded with months of unimaginable torture at Orochimaru's hands, and THEN a slow, painful death. Compared to that, a quick death in battle was truly a blessing.

However, only common Sound ninja truly feared such fates. The limited number that made up Orochimaru's elite still feared serious punishment, of course, but also knew they were too valuable to be killed, so long as they did exactly what was expected of them. Five such ninja currently stood just outside of Konoha's gates, calmly observing as the various battles raged on within the village's walls.

Curiously enough, none of these ninja wore anything that would identify them as belonging to the Sound, or even being ninja at all. They instead wore secondhand civilian clothing, and were most commonly mistaken for a homeless family simply searching for their next meal. In reality, however, they were among Orochimaru's most powerful soldiers, and his greatest (living) experiments.

"Still no word from the boss?" one of them asked suddenly.

"No, Kamikiri," the tallest one answered. "You know if that were the case, Sasame would be aware of it at once."

"So maybe he's in a tight spot and can't get away," Kamikiri reasoned, drumming his fingers anxiously against his pant leg. "You ever think about that, Arashi?"

Arashi slowly turned to face his kinsmen, blue-gray eyes flashing. "Yes. Sasame would know that as well. We've been over this a hundred times already, Kamikiri. If you insist on annoying me simply because you are bored-"

"Well, it IS boring here," Kamikiri insisted with a frown. "Why wouldn't I be bored?"

Arashi's lips slowly drew back from his teeth, lightning dancing across his skin as he took a step towards Kamikiri.

"Stop it, both you," said a soft but firm voice. "You'll upset Sasame if you fight. You know she hates that."

Kamikiri, at least, seemed sorrowful, and muttered an apology. "Sorry, Kagero."

Kagero, at least a head shorter than Kamikiri, and probably half of his body weight as well, glared with such killing intent that Kamikiri took a step back. "Don't apologize to me," she snapped. "I'm not the one you upset with your foolishness."

Somewhat reluctantly, Kamikiri turned to the orange-haired girl clutching onto Kagero's arm. "Um, sorry about that, Sasame-chan. Didn't mean to worry you." He gently ruffled her hair, and was rewarded with a hesitant smile as she leaned into his hand. Kamikiri almost smiled as well, but froze when he felt Arashi's eyes on him, and quickly drew his hand back.

Sensing what Arashi was about to ask, Kagero carefully brushed her fingers against Sasame's arm. "Have you received any word, Sasame-chan?" she asked softly.

Sasame blinked slowly and shook her head. "No, Kagero-sama. I can't hear Oro-chichi's voice in my head right now. He must want us to wait here. But I'm sure he'll call on us very soon."

Arashi turned to his remaining, silent kinsmen. "What can you tell us, Jigumo?"

"Orochimaru-sama is surrounded by powerful opponents and allies," Jigumo replied, even as several small spiders crawled over his arms. "My children don't seem to think he will need our help for some time. Also, we have company."

In the next moment, a masked ANBU appeared before them. It was easy to tell from the bloodstains on his cloak that he was wounded.

"You shouldn't stay here," he warned them firmly. "It's not safe."

Kagero nodded. "Thank you, ANBU-san. We weren't sure what was going on."

The ANBU nodded and turned to leave, but before he could complete the motion, he was sliced in half.

"See? Boring," Kamikiri concluded, flicking some blood from his fingers as the ANBU hit the ground in two pieces. "I bet we don't see any real action at all today."

"Orochimaru-sama wouldn't have us stand by if that were the case," Kagero argued. "Right, Sasame-chan?"

Sasame didn't answer. She had knelt down and was slowly dragging a finger through the spreading pool of blood at her feet. After a few seconds, she raised the finger to her mouth and carefully tasted the blood, her eyes momentarily slitting and turning yellow as she did so.

Arashi frowned at the display, but kept his thoughts to himself.

* * *

Aburame Shino was a creature of logic. Every Aburame was to some degree.

If there had ever been an Aburame Clan philosophy, it would've been something along the lines of, "Three million heads are better than one."

The only thing more effective than one Aburame was a whole team of them.

Within ten minutes of the start of the invasion, Shino had found his father, Shibi, and within twenty minutes, the two of them had joined forces with ten of their kinsmen. Without a word passing between them, they began roaming the streets like an old-fashioned death squad, literally swarming any enemy ninja they came across within seconds.

It would've been both startling and accurate to note that Shino had never felt closer to his father, because rarely were there opportunities for their respective insects to cooperate in such a way. Death did not bother him; as a child he had seen plenty of insects devoured by larger creatures, and by the time he saw his first human corpse, the connection was simple and painless to make.

But the Aburame were attuned only to the natural world, and things they could sense.

So there was no way that they could've known that they'd picked up a thirteenth member, one that walked, not only in shadows, but between the natural and unnatural worlds. But that was Nii Yugito's fate, as both the demon vessel of the Nibi, and a shinigami. They were two curious titles, but it was the latter that often made Yugito feel more cursed than anything else.

Certainly, being a demon vessel had come with it's own share of unique hardships. But in the end, all it really meant was that Yugito wasn't alone, and that she had the Nibi to explain such things to her.

The role of a shinigami was not one she'd wish on anyone else, though. A demon vessel, at least, had the power to make a difference. But a shinigami, even if they had the power to do so, was cursed to do nothing but wait. Shinigami did not interfere on anyone's behalf without special permission or serious consequences. They merely watched, and waited for their next soul. And with a war going on all around her, Yugito wasn't doing much waiting at all. Every second, it seemed, there was another soul seeking guidance.

Thankfully, due to Yugito's circumstances, she could not realistically be expected to judge where every soul she came upon was meant to go, even if she had the ability to move between worlds. There was no time, and spending that much time with the dead would drive even the Nibi's container mad, eventually. All she really had to do was make sure the souls didn't linger where they didn't belong, and send them on for processing somewhere else. After that, they were someone else's problem.

Yugito had been drawn to the Aburame because they were quick and efficient, if nothing else. They made her job easier. But that only gave her time to think about all the other deaths she was sensing, and to worry about her friends. She'd know the instant one of them died, and it had come as a real shock when she'd felt Shikamaru and Chouji do so. They'd been perfectly nice, once she'd gotten to know them (Shikamaru had mostly been indifferent, but amusingly so). But they hadn't shown up yet, which was strange and worrying. Souls were usually instinctively drawn to the nearest shinigami, so either there was another nearby, or their souls were lost.

Finally, the Nibi interrupted Yugito's worrisome thoughts. "Yugito-chan, it's time we found Naruto. I sense a great disturbance in the natural order... and I don't think it will go well for our side."

"What do you mean?" Yugito asked at once. "What's wrong?"

"Someone has broken the ancient laws. Someone has brought the dead back to life, without the aid of a shinigami. We must correct this."

Yugito frowned as her fingernails turned into sharp, powerful claws, which she used to quickly scale a nearby building for a better vantage point. "But who could possibly have that power?"

"It must be the one who has access to the Hachibi's chakra. It is the only other greater demon that would even know how to attempt such a thing, much less do it successfully. I fear I was wrong not to deal with this the moment I first sensed that foul presence."

"Nobody can blame you," Yugito replied. "We've got enough trouble as it is. Just tell me which way."

There was a long pause.

"Impossible... Yugito-chan, I now sense the Hachibi's chakra in two different locations. The first is near the stadium, the one I sensed before. But now there is another, just outside the gates. For the moment, however, it is lying dormant. But should it awaken..."

Months ago, Yugito would have just raced to the more powerful one, and dealt with it as best she could. But now she had new priorities, shinigami or not.

"Which one is closest to Naruto-kun?"

"The first."

"Then that's where we're going."

**End of Chapter 31.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Breaking of Konoha, Part 3**

Madara begins the destruction of Konoha, but he runs into trouble, in the form of an extremely pissed off Naruto. Tsunade and the remaining rookies attempt to deal with Kimimaro, but they, too, are interrupted. Sasuke takes the next step on the way to ultimate power, just in time to face off with Itachi.

Endnotes:

This chapter took a lot of time because of all the fights. And so will the next one, no doubt. In fact, I only ended it where I did because it was taking so very long. So there's a good chance "The Breaking of Konoha" will end up stretched over 4 or more chapters, depending on how long the fights go on. Again, I have the major events planned out for the most part, but inspiration comes from very odd places (for example, I only decided to involve the Fuma after watching their filler arc for the second time, and deciding that with some little improvements, they aren't half bad).

Haku and Kimimaro actually did meet in the anime. Well, they didn't exchange names or anything. Kimimaro just encountered Zabuza and Haku during the Kaguya Clan's attack on the Hidden Mist Village.

How does the Shodai Hokage know a rough form of Gentle Fist? Well, the Hyuuga were there when Konoha was founded, and contrary to popular belief, you DON'T need a Sharingan to mimic someone else's moves: all you need is a regular eye and the will to do it. Anyway, it's probably a good idea to be familiar with the fighting styles of the people you're supposed to keep in line, especially if they ever get OUT of line and you have to fight them (given how often that happens to Hokages, it should be a job requirement).

Let me clear up the difference between the Kaze Kyuu (Wind Sphere) and the Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere). The Kaze Kyuu, as its name implies, is composed of wind chakra (the Rasengan alone has no element).

In terms of the Rasengan's stages, the average Kaze Kyuu most resembles the first stage, which is little more than winds spinning in a sphere at somewhat high speed (D or C rank damage at best).

For Avatar fans, a better example of the Kaze Kyuu would be one of Aang's more common tricks: the Air Scooter (a ball of wind that he whips up and rides around on), which is about as dangerous as that little spinny deal he does with the marbles to amuse Katara and kids (rarely seems to work, though). In other words, damage is NOT a strong point.

But the Kaze Kyuu, when handled properly (and majorly juiced up) CAN be every bit as damaging as the Rasengan. Naruto, Kisame, and Itachi already have "big brother" versions that they'll use from time to time. Note that these all take advantage of the elemental chakra base that the Rasengan lacks (which is the key difference between the two techniques, aside from power). Although IF it were possible to add element chakra, and keep the Rasengan at its same size, THAT would be more powerful than any of these. But bigger is better as far as canon is concerned.

So no, the Kaze Kyuu is NOT a Rasengan rip-off. They certainly look the same, but the Kaze Kyuu is easier to form and less destructive, and because of that it has a wider variety of uses, whereas the Rasengan is really only good for spinning or blowing things to bits. Naruto will continue to use both moves: he learned wind chakra manipulation early on, so wind jutsu are second nature to him, and the two moves are similar enough that learning either one prepares you for the other.

So instead of going through the trouble of figuring out how to add wind chakra to the Rasengan, Naruto can shortcut it by simply having a Kaze Kyuu in one hand and a Rasengan in the other (I figure by the time Naruto actually learns the Rasengan here, he's had enough experience to form it one-handed fairly quickly, without Kyuubi's chakra).

As I understand it, soldier pills restore and/or intensify chakra for a period. In Kiba's case, they supposedly make his chakra about twice as strong (and he was arguably at full strength at the time). Since demon vessels have FAR more chakra than normal people, I estimate they'd have to take more than one soldier pill to get the same effects, at least two or three. Ten should still be far too much, at least for Gaara. Since Kyuubi is rumored to have limitless chakra, there's no telling how many pills Naruto could take before the little resistance he has to Kyuubi's chakra started to fail him (keeping in mind that Naruto has NEVER accessed ALL of Kyuubi's chakra, if there is a set amount).

Despite her training, Hanabi is not a genin. All the training in the world does not make up for actual combat experience. Perfect example: Naruto froze when facing the Demon Brothers, while Sasuke fought with no problem. Yet when faced with Orochimaru, Sasuke froze up the same as Sakura did. Mind you, that's not because Sasuke was weak for a genin (well above average, in fact, as he was the top rookie, but lost to Lee and Gaara), but because ANY and EVERY genin in general is weak against a Sannin. And Hanabi is not even THAT, so if you thought she was going to beat Orochimaru, um, no. Even FAKE versions of Orochimaru cause ninja to freeze up (as Sakura demonstrates pretty much every time she sees him). So you can't expect Hanabi not to freak out when Orochimaru is actually focusing on her.

Please don't give me any grief about Kagero's gender. Every source I've checked says that she is truly female. And you could argue that her "false" form is just a really, really ugly female with a male voice actor, as opposed to just an ugly male. I could see where there would be confusion, though. In the dub, Sasame refers to her as "Master Kagero," which is a very odd title, considering Jiraiya is the only other master so far. Since the other Sannin (and even Hokages) got "Lord" and "Lady," you'd think Kagero would be "Lady Kagero." But no. The only thing I can figure is that Kagero actually ENJOYED throwing people off and just took the title to add to that, or maybe Sasame trained under Kagero at some point (since Sasame seems to be a better actress-playing-a-boy-ninja than she is an actual kunoichi, this makes a twisted kind of sense, but thankfully pretending to be the other gender doesn't seem like a common Fuma quirk).

Yes, I know there are two (well, technically three) beings named Arashi in the story. What can I say, it's a cool name. But here's some hints to help you keep them separate. 1) Almost no one uses the Yondaime's actual name when referring to him, and that won't change. 2) Arashi the wind spirit can really only mimic human language, so anything he says will be mostly growling, and only Naruto calls him by name. 3) Arashi of the Fuma Clan is easy to spot: everyone calls him by name, he can TALK, and there will probably be another Fuma nearby.

Shikamaru's jutsu:

**Nara Kinjutsu: Kunai no Tenchi**

**(Nara Forbidden Technique: Kunai of Heaven and Earth)**

A two-step ninjutsu that drains the user's life away for a suicide attack. First, a seal on the light side of the kunai sets off a powerful light bomb that actively seeks out darkness and eyes. Next, a seal on the dark side of the kunai forcibly draws out all of the user's chakra and life force to manipulate "living" shadows that stab into every pore on a foe's body, causing them to bleed to death (under normal circumstances).

Ino's jutsu:

**Magen: Gentou (Demonic Illusion: Severe Winter)**

A combination genjutsu and ninjutsu trap that surrounds the target in a winter environment. First the eye is drawn to snowflakes falling from the sky. Then the ground is covered in ice. Finally, the target is frozen in ice from toe to head. The snowflakes represent the distraction that ensnares the target's mind and holds them in place, while the ice effects are actually added by Haku, first coating the ground in ice to increase his speed, then coating the target in thick ice so that they are unable to move. This leaves them open to further attack, though if the target remains trapped long enough, they will simply freeze to death. (It should be noted that Haku only moves at high speed over water/ice, but when moving through his mirrors, his movement is almost instantaneous.)

Konkon's jutsu:

**Kitsune Bunshin (Fox Clone):**

Konkon assumes the form of a person she's familiar with. While transformed, she has access to any jutsu and/or abilities they have, so long as she knew about them beforehand. Anything she learns about the person while transformed would not be accessible until she assumed their shape a second time.

Iruka's weapon:

**Oniteki (Demon Pipe):**

Basically an enlarged, more dangerous version of Tayuya's flute. Instead of playing music, it translates Iruka's commands into demon tongue (which only demons or VERY evil people would know). It's also a weapon in it's own right, releasing increasingly stronger electric shocks with more contact. (I've seen Tayuya's flute called "mateki," which should refer to a demonic pipe; since Iruka is a man and his pipe is larger, I used a different term meaning demon for him)

Sanrei's jutsu:

**Oni Bunshin (Demon Clone): **

Basically a demonic version of Kage Bunshin that creates two copies of Sanrei.

Dojin's jutsu:

**Kousen no Mai (Dance of War):**

Dojin goes into a tornado spin, using his claws and powerful arms to slash or bash anything in his path. He uses his ears to lock in on enemies.

Naruto's jutsu: (since Arashi technically has none)

**Kaze Tsume (Wind Claw):**

A brutal attack where Arashi shoves a large, clawed hand deep into an opponent's body, then rotates the claw rapidly so that it drills straight through them. For extra damage, Arashi can increase the size of the claw as it rotates, carving out a hole as big as he is.

Haku's jutsu:

**Kuchiyose: Hyoton: Shugoryuu (Hoko)**

**(Summoning: Ice Release: Guardian Dragon)**

Haku reaches into an ice mirror and draws out Hoko, an ice dragon spirit. Unlike a typical summon, Hoko remains connected to Haku's arm at all times, and draws power from his will: so long as Haku wishes to fight, Hoko will continue to attack until dismissed. Hoko freezes anything he nears instantly, even if charging a target at great speed. Hoko's main methods of attack are crashing through targets he has frozen, or firing razor-sharp ice shards from his mouth. Hoko can also become intangible to allow attacks to pass through him without harm. Note: "Hoko" refers to a long-handled Chinese spear.

Tsunade's summon: **Aya-chan**

Tsunade summons a black slug that is slightly larger than herself. Aya is called almost exclusively for travel purposes.


	32. The Breaking of Konoha, Part 3

Note: To those that noticed that the Tanuki Nail's third form was introduced second

Note: To those that noticed that the Tanuki Nail's third form was introduced second. Gaara merely learned to use that one second. The different forms, however, are named for the order that Shukaku created them in, not the order Gaara learned them in. In other words, Kanakugi is the second form, but it's the third and final form that Gaara learns to use. As for why, its weight makes it harder to handle than the others. So I got a bit mixed up in the endnotes. My bad. Also, I'm feeling really out of sorts lately, and I suspect my writing is suffering from me being more absentminded than ever. I am trying to see this through to the end, though.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 32: The Breaking of Konoha, Part 3**

* * *

Most people believed that it was solely Shukaku that made Gaara a powerful, talented ninja. Those people would be wrong. True, Gaara had begun developing his strength largely to be able to contain the power of Shukaku, not wanting to place his faith entirely in a seal he knew nothing about. But the key to gaining that power as fast as Gaara had was focus.

Gaara had rarely ever had to worry about the usual distractions as a child: family, friends, obligations. He had been able to focus entirely on his training, and most people had wisely stayed out of his way, just glad he wasn't out killing them. Even if Gaara had been plagued with the usual problems of the human condition, he would have ignored them: nothing was as big a threat in his life as Shukaku, not even the numerous Suna assassins.

Since then, Gaara actually had gained all of the things he'd missed out on, but that relentless focus in training had never left him. It had saved his life many times, and kept him from depending entirely on Shukaku's power, which he was reluctant to do, anyway. Even Shukaku took some pride in Gaara's strength: there would always be a near-silent rumble of approval in Gaara's head whenever he mastered a difficult jutsu. On some level, Gaara understood. Most people made no distinction between demon vessel and the demon, so it became a matter of personal pride that the vessel be as strong as possible to reflect the demon's might.

All of this meant that upon being taken in by Kakashi, Gaara had been in a perfect position to become one of the most versatile and learned ninja since the Sandaime Hokage. He hungered for knowledge, learned even complicated jutsu at a rate that was inhuman (or perhaps just Sharingan-like), and had enough chakra to execute several high level jutsu without tiring.

And currently, Gaara was hopped up on soldier pills and itching for a fight. It was not a good day for anyone to be his opponent, much less the person who had been the cause of nearly every bad thing (or at least the worst thing of all) in Gaara's life.

However, it was not unusual, and indeed almost required, for a Kage to learn most if not all of the jutsu of his village. While this was indeed the case with the Yondaime Kazekage, as a matter of pride, he relied on his personal assortment of jutsu, but the knowledge of all he'd learned remained... and had been passed on to Kankurou in death. This meant that most of Gaara's attacks were completely ineffective, or only landed glancing blows. It didn't help that the Kazekage had been Gaara's first sensei, that Kankurou had trained alongside Gaara for years, or that Gaara had made little attempt to hide his new abilities from his brother.

But Gaara had never completely revealed his arsenal to any one person. Such a thing would only guarantee death in the ninja world, and years of being surrounded by hateful people had left Gaara far too paranoid to be that trusting. He had not been surprised to learn that Hanabi lived by the same philosophy, although it had lessened his opinion of the Hyuuga Clan greatly, to know that a child with such great potential would have a life even slightly comparable to that of a demon vessel. Still, it was that unfortunate life that had drawn Hanabi to him, so maybe it was a necessary evil in the name of obtaining a trusted comrade.

However, when he first heard Hanabi's screams of fear, Gaara's focus did not fade: it merely narrowed, from defeating Kankurou, to going through Kankurou as quickly as possible to get to Hanabi. The redhead quickly withdrew his sand, weakening the seal on his right arm as sand flowed over it, coating the limb in the pulsing flesh of Shukaku.

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed as he noticed the change in tactics. In Kankurou's voice, he muttered, "You've changed, Gaara. Why do you care so much about that Hyuuga brat?"

Gaara thought back to the first time he'd met Hanabi, and a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. "She looked at me without hatred or fear. She acknowledged my strength, and that I was still human."

"Human or not, you still house a monster. And you'll be hunted because of it for the rest of your life."

"Then I'll never be bored," Gaara replied as he unexpectedly lurched forward on a flying sand cloud that suddenly rose up around his feet.

The Kazekage cursed as he quickly backpedaled to avoid Shukaku's claws. The only problem with that was that a long, curved blade suddenly burst from Gaara's arm, slashing through the Kazekage's sand rings like they were paper, and the Kazekage himself at the waist.

Gaara grunted as the sword hit the ground with a tremendous crash, dragging his arm down with it. He glared down at the two pieces of the Kazekage. "Meet Kanakugi, Sword of Protection, second form of the Tanuki Nail. I am still unable to lift it for more than a second, but that weight also allows it to cut through anything and everything."

"You win this round, but I'm not done with you, little brother." The Kazekage vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving nothing behind.

Sensing no further threat from his sibling, Gaara drew Kanakugi back into Shukaku's arm, which soon transformed into sand and flew into his gourd. With that done, he made a beeline for Hanabi, who was clutching her head as she rolled around violently. The Shodai Hokage was bent over her, but obviously knew nothing that could help her.

Gaara very nearly told the man to back off, but a voice in his ear stopped him.

"No, my son," Karura whispered. "Only the Hokage and Hotaru can help Hanabi now."

Frowning, Gaara watched as the Shodai paused, tilted his head as if listening, and then carefully placed his hand over Hanabi's forehead. A soft, green glow surrounded his hand, and Hanabi stopped struggling at once, her breathing rapidly returning to normal. Still, her eyes stayed shut, and she did not get up.

The Shodai felt Gaara's eyes on him. "She is only afraid to open her eyes. You would be as well, if you were her."

Gaara said nothing, but turned as he sensed movement.

Uchiha Madara was standing on the opposite side of the roof, dangerously close to the edge. Gaara knew at once that the man hadn't walked there: he'd moved too quickly for that. Curiously, though, Madara was just standing there, and nothing more.

"What is he doing?" Gaara finally asked.

"Making up his mind," the Shodai Hokage replied.

"How is that possible? He should only be doing what Orochimaru commands, thanks to that kunai."

A grim smile spread across the Shodai's face. "You will find that rules almost never apply to Uchiha Madara. That is what makes him so brilliant... and so deadly. Pray that he decides our destruction is not worth his effort."

Gaara glared at him. "Why not attack him now?"

"Because the last time I did that, it took everything I had just to force him to a draw. I cannot fight him and keep him from influencing Shukaku at the same time."

"And yet, he can control Shukaku and fight you at the same time?" Gaara asked.

"Control has nothing to do with it," the Shodai answered sharply. "He wouldn't control Shukaku, he would push the demon to the brink of madness and watch him teeter over the edge. Konoha would burn as Shukaku attacked anything and everything in a frenzied rage. So no, Madara cannot control Shukaku, but what he would do to Shukaku is far worse than mere control."

Gaara considered that before finally asking, "Is he stronger than you?"

"Yes," the Shodai Hokage answered at once. "But I can keep him occupied, if nothing else. That is really the best we can hope for, as neither of us can undo Orochimaru's summoning. Despite what you might think, the undead are not so easily dispatched, unless you happen to be a shinigami."

Gaara frowned and said, "You should've said so earlier. I could've been rid of him and you by now." He closed his, sent chakra to his nose, and began searching for Yugito's scent.

* * *

Temari woke up on her back in an alleyway, to the peculiar sensation of something licking her cheek. Judging from the size of the tongue, the number of animals she was consistently around, and the likelihood of each of them licking her, she made an educated guess. "Meg, quit it."

"I'll do no such thing!" Meg snapped between licks. "If you make me go back up there and tell Naruto you're dead or near it, I'll never forgive you!"

"So go back and tell him you licked me to death!" Temari grunted, pushing the weasel's head away.

"That's not funny! And just so you know, you could still die if someone finds you just lying there, so I won't stop licking you until you're back on your feet!"

"Fine!" Temari grumbled, slowly struggling to sit up. It was only then that she noticed that aside from some dull aches just about everywhere, she had no broken bones. Between nearly having her neck broken and getting knocked off of a building, she'd expected more serious wounds. But the only thing that was out of place (aside from her being virtually uninjured) was the wispy, blue vapor gradually floating off of her body. "Karakkaze," Temari gasped as the remnants of her wind spirit faded away, "you saved me..."

"Yeah, that's great, let's get back to Naruto now!" Meg insisted, flying in circles around Temari's head.

"Stop it, you'll make me dizzy," Temari muttered as she carefully got to her feet, leaning against the side of building.

"That's not all I'll do, bitch," said a voice above her.

Temari's blood froze in her veins as a demonic-looking Tayuya landed just in front of her, sneering confidently. "A warning would've been nice, Meg," the Sand kunoichi hissed.

"Don't look at me, her scent's different!" Meg protested. "You expect me to identify each of the millions of scents in this village at a moment's notice? I was a little busy making sure you were still alive!"

"If you mean that, do something now! I'm not exactly in top form here!" That was a real understatement: Temari's soldier pills had worn off, leaving her even more drained than she'd been before she took them. She was in no shape to even be standing, much less fighting.

"Fine! But if I get killed defending you, you'll have to tell Naruto!"

With that, Meg vanished from Temari's shoulder, reappearing just above Tayuya's head with a cruel-looking scythe gripped expertly in her paws. An instant later, Tayuya was howling in pain and clamping a hand over one eye, blood streaming between her fingers. Meg dove for a second strike, but this time Tayuya was ready, and managed to bat the weasel away with a powerful backhand, sending Meg skidding to a stop in the dirt.

"Now it's your turn, blondie," Tayuya snarled, advancing on Temari. At least, she started to, until a white blur barreled into the back of her knee, revealing itself to be an angry, but small white dog. "What the hell?! What is it with you and white rats?!" the Sound-nin growled in frustration, raising a fist to give the dog the same treatment she'd given Meg a moment ago.

Although Temari was not sorry to see it, she still winced as a much larger white blur struck Tayuya from behind so hard that they both crashed through the alley wall. As the dust began to settle, Temari heard three hard, rapid punches land, followed by a loud crack. She relaxed as Kyojuu emerged a moment later, shaking the dust out of his clothes.

"Did you kill her?" Temari asked bluntly.

"No," Kyojuu replied, eyeing her curiously. "But if she can fight with a broken neck, maybe I should."

Temari almost answered, but was distracted by Yorishiro licking at her toes. Smiling, she reached down and hugged the dog firmly. "Thanks, girl. I'll never look down on dogs again." She giggled as Yorishiro licked her chin happily. "Oh, and thank you, too, Kyojuu."

He shrugged. "No thanks needed. Naruto is my brother, too."

That made Temari pause, and for the first time, she could appreciate the way that Kyojuu, Yugito, Gaara, and Naruto all felt about each other. They would each gladly fight and die to defend another's precious people, without hesitation or fear. It was very possible, even likely, that Kyojuu had been doing something far more important when he'd sensed she was in danger, and yet he'd chosen to rescue her, because it would spare Naruto from pain.

Without really thinking about it, Temari ventured forward and gave Kyojuu a quick peck on the cheek.

She was almost insulted when his only reaction was to give her a long, wary look. "I'm spoken for," he said at last.

"I know," Temari replied, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. "It was just a way of thanking you. You didn't have to save my life. I'm sure Yugito would understand that. I'll even explain it to her later, if you want."

Kyojuu shook his head. "I know she won't care. But I do. Next time, just kiss Yori. She likes that stuff better than me, anyway."

If she didn't know Yorishiro to be such a clean dog, Temari would've taken great offense at that. Instead, she shifted Yorishiro to one arm, carefully picked up the still unconscious Meg with her free hand, and followed Kyojuu out of the alley.

* * *

Kabuto was not easily impressed. After awakening his own special powers, very little struck him as amazing.

But one thing that always managed to leave him speechless was watching Tsunade fight. For a woman of her age and stature, there were certain moves that should have been difficult, if not impossible, for her to pull off, and yet she managed them beautifully every single time. If not for the facts that he still considered her his mother, and that she had already trained him, he might even have drooled at the thought of possessing such knowledge.

It was also a small bonus that, if Tsunade had known he was watching, it would've pissed her off to no end, and he did so enjoy ruffling her feathers, if only because she could never actually bring herself to do worse than injure him and then refuse to heal the damage. Kabuto had long ago reached the point where his body began healing even before he actually took damage, so even blows from Tsunade at full strength were only momentary nuisances.

On the other hand, a punch from Tsunade hurt like hell no matter who you were, so it was generally best just to avoid them if at all possible.

And if there was one thing that Orochimaru had taught Kabuto, it was hiding in plain sight. The Snake Sannin's concealment genjutsu were so effective because, instead of merely hiding the user behind an illusionary wall, they blended with the existing environment and twisted a copy of it around the user. Anyone looking for genjutsu would be searching for tiny flaws, not an extension of the background itself.

Kabuto had actually been inside the stadium for several minutes now, watching the Leaf genin battle against Kimimaro (and unknown to anyone else, the remains of Sakon and Ukon as well). If not for Tsunade's interference, Kimimaro surely would've killed them all, eventually. It wouldn't do for a genin to brag about outwitting the Sound Five leader: Kimimaro would kill them just to keep the incident quiet. Kabuto fully intended to use that as blackmail later, assuming that Kimimaro survived, and that was a big if, now that Tsunade was coordinating their attacks.

Even without knowing exactly what Kimimaro was capable of, Tsunade's plan was clearly pushing his body to the limits of its ability to regenerate. After releasing Kimimaro from the ice prison, Tsunade immediately rushed in and struck the base of his neck. To the untrained eye, it appeared to be a simple jab, but Kabuto would recognize his mother's Ranshinsho (Important Body Points Disturbance) anywhere. It was an effective but risky move: even with Sakon and Ukon assisting, it would take Kimimaro some time to rewire his body correctly, but in the meantime, every inch of his body was still a deadly weapon, and even more so when he had little or no control over it.

But even as Kimimaro's limbs flailed in an uncoordinated but still lethal fashion, the two Hyuuga females attacked, using rapid Gentle Fist strikes to close off every chakra channel they could reach. Aside from avoiding Kimimaro's blows, they also had to stay out of each other's way, but somehow managed it without taking any major hits. The more damage Kimimaro took, the more his movements slowed as Sakon and Ukon tried to simultaneously to relay each of the signals from Kimimaro's brain to their proper limbs, re-open the closed chakra channels, and suppress the pain.

As if the three occupants of Kimimaro's body didn't have enough to worry about, the effeminate Cloud-nin sent his ice dragon spear straight through Kimimaro's brain. He was followed a moment later by a clone of himself, who speared through Kimimaro's heart, leaving the Sound Five leader entirely dependent on his two companions to heal him.

It was Tsunade who finished the attack, cupping a hand to her mouth and spewing out a spray of bright orange sludge that sizzled as it hit Kimimaro's skin. Kabuto was the only one present who realized the true extent of the disgusting maneuver. The orange sludge contained hundreds of tiny fire slugs, which were native to Mount Kotobuki, the only active volcano in the Land of Fire. The slugs earned their name from two little-known facts: 1) they only bred inside the volcano, and 2) they had an uncanny ability to burrow through skin and convert a body's chakra into liquid fire. ANBU had once maintained a healthy supply for interrogation purposes, but even exposure to just one slug, given enough time, was fatal.

Kimimaro knew none of this. All his body recognized was pure, blinding agony as the chakra being used to repair his body was rapidly replaced by living magma. By that point, Kimimaro's body was running purely on autopilot from his perspective, and so it continued to pump the damaging liquid throughout his body, despite the continuous damage being inflicted to his chakra pathways and nervous system.

Despite this, Kabuto could tell that Kimimaro wouldn't die. He would, however, need time to recover. Orochimaru would be more than a bit upset if Kimimaro were to die before reaching his ultimate potential.

Sighing in resignation, Kabuto stepped into plan view, allowing the illusion to dissolve around him. "Impeccable technique as always, kaa-san. It almost makes me wish I had signed the Slug Contract."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she finally spotted her wayward adopted son. "Kabuto. You've got some nerve showing your face before me again."

"Sadly, this isn't a social visit. I'm here on Orochimaru-sama's business. I can't allow you to kill Kimimaro."

"It's out of my hands," Tsunade replied with a grim smile. "You know how eager Ran-chan is. She can't be stopped once she's begun an attack."

"Can't she, though?" Kabuto asked, smirking as he adjusted his glasses.

"Impossible! You just said you didn't sign the Slug Contract!" Tsunade cried.

"Which is true," Kabuto admitted, raising a hand to his lips. "But I never said I didn't convince one of the Kotobuki slugs to become my personal summon, did I?" With that, Kabuto sprayed a neon pink sludge onto Kimimaro, and the effects were almost instant. Kimimaro opened his mouth wide and vomited up all of the sludge into two distinct pools.

The red pool quickly formed itself into the shape of a slug about Tsunade's height. "Sayo-chan... is that you?" it asked in disbelief.

The pink pool took on the shape of a much smaller slug, which only came up to Kabuto's waist. "Don't sound so surprised, nee-san. I always told you that I would surpass you one day, and with Kabuto-kun's help, I have. I'm the strongest Kotobuki now!"

"You cannot claim that title until you replace me at Tsunade-sama's side!" Ran shouted. "The strongest Kotobuki for the strongest summoner! That will always be our way!"

"Then it's not looking too good for you, since I just cancelled out your attack," Sayo reminded her. "And that's not all I can do!" Sayo vanished without warning, reappearing in mid-air, her cheeks bulging.

Tsunade quickly bit her thumb and swiped it across her waist. "Miyu-chan!"

A yellow blob ballooned from the streak of red, quickly enveloping Tsunade, Rei, and all of the genin, a mere second before Sayo spat out a volley of medium-sized fireballs that exploded on impact. The yellow blob quivered and sizzled with each hit, but remained solid.

Sayo returned to Kabuto's side, flicking her tail in annoyance. "I won't be able to break Miyu-san's defenses by myself, Kabuto-kun. Even with your chakra boosting my attacks, it could take hours to wear her down."

"That is time we don't have, Sayo-chan," Kabuto replied. "We are only here to retrieve Kimimaro."

"No!" Kimimaro gasped, his eyes rolling aimlessly as he tried to focus in the direction of Kabuto's voice. "They will die... for the disrespect they have shown me..."

"You won't be able to do that without relying on the next stage of your cursed seal at this point, and that should be saved for far more formidable opponents. Our master doesn't want Tsunade and these children dead that badly, yet. You've already lost Sasuke. Don't throw your life away, too, or Orochimaru-sama will summon you from the dead just to torture you."

A doorway opened up in the yellow blob, and Tsunade stepped out, cracking her knuckles loudly. "You talk as if we'll just let you walk away."

"Oh, but you will, kaa-san," Kabuto answered with a smile. "If you kill me now, how will you ever find out what I've done with Shizune?"

Tsunade froze, her expression darkening. "If you've hurt her..."

Kabuto scoffed at the very thought. "Hurt her? When have I ever shown any interest in hurting my dear older sister? Do you really believe that's the sort of man I've become, kaa-san?"

"You're one of Orochimaru's dogs. There's no telling what you've become," Tsunade spat. "And if you would drag Shizune into a mess that she had nothing to do with-"

"Oh, that's where you're wrong," Kabuto interrupted. "I gave you both a chance to come with me. I wanted us to be together. At the very least, I always intended for Shizune to be with me. And now she is. I'll take good care of her. You can believe that, can't you?"

"She'll never be like you!" Tsunade insisted heatedly.

"She's already more like me than you know," Kabuto chuckled. "My blood flows through her veins, and once I teach Shizune to stop suppressing her true potential, we may even become greater than the Sannin. Maybe then you'll be proud of me. But that can wait. For now, this is goodbye, kaa-san."

Tsunade rushed at Kabuto, only to gasp as he, Kimimaro, and Sayo suddenly burst into columns of smoke, revealing three small, clay dolls lying innocently on the ground. Tsunade reacted at once, jumping back several feet. She had no idea what the dolls were made to do, but she didn't trust them at all.

A huge hand wrapped around the Slug Sannin's waist and yanked her backwards, just as the three dolls vanished in three huge explosions, shaking the entire stadium with the combined force of the blasts. Tsunade only escaped death because she was pulled back into the safety of Miyu's body at that last possible second.

Once the smoke had cleared, Miyu's yellow, badly damaged body melted away, revealing a group of very relieved genin, and two stunned, older kunoichi.

"Okay, for future reference, nobody trust anything made out of clay," said an eerily familiar voice.

"CHOUJI?!" Ino shrieked in shock as she recognized the plump ninja standing next to her.

"Uh, no," the ninja replied, despite looking exactly like Chouji, and shoving his enlarged hand behind his back (not that it did much good). "It's me, Konkon. Remember?"

"Oh," Ino said softly, lowering her head in disappointment.

"Chouji" vanished in a large puff of smoke, and Konkon stepped out in her original golden fox form. "Sorry, but he has damn useful jutsu, and I couldn't think of anyone else with stretchy arms in time."

"Where the hell were all these damn animals hiding when I was a genin?" Tsunade muttered, suddenly feeling like she'd gotten shortchanged by ending up with slugs. "How did you know those dolls were bombs?" she asked Konkon.

"The chakra in them smelled funny," Konkon replied as she leaped lightly onto Haku's shoulder and wrapped her tail around his neck. "I just thought they were stinkbombs at first. But then I thought, 'Hey, why would a stinkbomb need chakra? Must be something worse.'"

A large sweatdrop ran down the back of Tsunade's head. "Well, thanks, anyway."

Konkon smirked. "I'll send you a bill."

* * *

Uchiha Madara was still staring out over Konoha when he heard his master's voice.

"Kill them all."

"No." Madara turned slowly to find Orochimaru glaring at him.

"I gave you an order. You have no choice."

"I am Uchiha Madara. Your power over me is what I say it is. And I say you are nothing." With deliberate slowness, Madara reached up and removed the tagged kunai from the back of his neck.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed in cold fury. "You will do as I say."

"Yes. I will kill them. But only because it pleases me. And first, I will deal with you."

The Snake Sannin's lips quirked into a wicked smile. "You will find that I am not so easily dealt with. I fear no Uchiha."

"You will fear this one, in the little time you have remaining in this life. And I have already dealt with you."

Orochimaru blinked as the world shimmered around him, melting away to reveal that his body was bathed in black flames, and had been for several minutes... although from his perspective, it was more like 72 hours. Only when he looked up into Madara's eyes did the pain come. And by then it was too late.

"You would have been better off summoning the Yondaime," Madara said softly, causing Orochimaru's eyes to widen in shock. "Him, you had at least a chance of controlling, because you could just barely follow his movement. But no one in this world, be they shinobi or demon, matches my speed. You have already experienced two of my Mangekyou Sharingan's attacks: Tsukuyomi, the ultimate genjutsu, and Amaterasu, the unmatched ninjutsu. Even though you are unworthy, you will experience the third as well."

The Snake Sannin was already moving to attack as Madara finished speaking, but all Orochimaru saw was Madara slowly reaching for what looked like a staff strapped to his back, just before the Uchiha ancestor vanished.

"Susano'o, the perfect storm," Madara's voice whispered.

Orochimaru was still trying to locate his enemy when the first blow landed hard across his face. His whole body became one enormous ache as a whirlwind of punches, kicks, and jabs from the staff rained over every part of his body, which still felt like it had been burned down to the bones. The flurry of attacks ended abruptly as Madara appeared again, revealing that his staff had a large fan on one end, which was painted to resemble his Mangekyou Sharingan. It was the last thing Orochimaru would see for some time, because in the next instant, the fan slammed into his face, sending him soaring up into the sky. A moment later, Madara appeared overhead amidst a ring of black flames, hammering the Snake Sannin one last time with the fan. Orochimaru crashed into the base of the Hokage Tower seconds later, and while the building trembled, it remained standing... at least, until the ground floor was obliterated by another ring of black flames, dropping all of the other floors on top of an unconscious Orochimaru.

"Now, for Konoha," Madara said calmly, turning back to stare out over the village again, as if he hadn't just ended the career of one of the most deadly and infamous ninja of all time.

* * *

When Sasuke first woke up, he was aware of only two things: he was lying in Hinata's arms, and there was an awful, bloodcurdling shriek echoing directly overhead.

But unlike nearly everyone else who heard it, Sasuke did not cringe and slap his hands over his ears. Because within that shriek, he heard something that only two other people currently in the village would understand.

"Sasuke-sama, get up! The Enemy is here!"

The voice continued to call out to him, but Sasuke had never heard it before. That hardly mattered, though. Sasuke had heard the emphasis in the statement, and he was positive there was only one person deserving of such importance, at least where he was concerned.

At the same time, high up in the stands, Itachi raised his head as a huge shadow fell over the arena. "Hn."

"What is that?!" Kurenai hissed at him, her hands still clamped over her ears.

Itachi blinked. "The proof that my brother is either extremely lucky, or incredibly stupid."

Kurenai gaped as a fully grown thunderbird soared over the stadium, turned sharply, and then plummeted straight down, its body crackling with electricity as it dove at the ground... straight towards Sasuke. "Why isn't he moving out of the way?"

"Because he isn't a complete idiot," Itachi replied as the thunderbird disappeared an instant before it could strike Sasuke. But from all indications, it had hit him, because Sasuke's body was surrounded by a golden aura, and tiny bolts of lightning danced across his skin.

That, from Kurenai's perspective, was when things began to go wrong.

Sasuke screamed in agony as two large, pointy... things burst from his back, drenched in blood so dark that it looked black. He collapsed onto all fours as the things sticking out of his back began to move in a vaguely familiar way, almost as if they were flapping. Another scream tore from Sasuke's mouth as his body jerked up sharply, floating in mid-air, and it was only clear why as the blood slowly dripped away.

"Those are... wings?" Kurenai breathed as she took in the sight of Sasuke's golden, jagged wings. They looked exactly like the wings of a thunderbird: pointy, golden feathers, and an underside as dark as night.

"You may want to move back," was all the warning Kurenai got from Itachi.

Then Sasuke was moving, rocketing across the field, slamming into and through a wall, and then zooming straight up towards them, tearing through the stands like they were tissue paper. The whole time, his glowing, golden eyes were locked on his older brother, and Itachi's name flew from Sasuke's mouth in a roar of pure hatred.

"Foolish little brother," Itachi sighed, just before Sasuke reached him.

Sasuke clearly wasn't thinking. He was just charging full-on, with no weapons or jutsu of any kind. Either the power or the anger was clouding his brain, but Itachi knew just how to reach him.

Itachi drove his elbow straight into Sasuke's nose, breaking it with ease. Before Sasuke could open his mouth to groan, three kunai were planted into each of his wings, and Itachi's hand locked around his throat, slamming him into the ground.

"You have the power, the training, the motivation, and still you embarrass yourself, Sasuke. I am... disappointed, to the point where I will not kill you here. But this is the last time I spare you, little brother. I suggest you keep that in mind."

Itachi tossed Sasuke away as if he were trash, but the boy's killing intent spiked one last time as he changed direction in mid-air, his wings beating madly as he rushed at Itachi again, blood pouring out of the stab wounds as Sasuke ignored the pain and forced his body to its limits. Golden chakra engulfed his body, forcing out the kunai and closing his wounds. An unintelligible cry of fury bubbled from Sasuke's mouth as he drew his swords, the blades fusing together from the incredible amount of power seeping out of the youngest Uchiha's body.

"I will end you, Itachi," Sasuke stated, raising his new sword high above his head.

Itachi just stood there as Sasuke flew at him again, but a red, flamelike aura winked into existence around the elder Uchiha's body just before Sasuke struck, tossing him away harmlessly. What was not harmless was the flaming fist that Itachi buried into Sasuke's ribs, or the hard elbow to the side of the head that finally dropped Sasuke for good.

"None of this surprises you," Kurenai realized with growing shock. She had never heard anything about the Uchiha having such powers, and definitely knew nothing about their ability to grow wings and fly.

"Sasuke is a fool, but he has unlocked his heritage, however much good it will do him." Itachi paused as he spotted Hinata staring up at him from the arena floor, an unreadable expression on her face. "Come, Kurenai-san. We have business elsewhere."

Without a word, Kurenai once again enveloped Itachi in her genjutsu, and both vanished before anyone could think to make a move against them.

* * *

Orochimaru had not been born the Snake Sannin. That was a title he had earned, through sheer hard work, unstoppable drive, and what some would come to call pure, evil genius. But once, long ago, his childhood had not been so different from that of a demon vessel's. He had been alone as a child, knowing only scorn and indifference from the general populace of Konoha. Orochimaru had been neglected solely because of his unusual appearance, which frightened potential playmates and worried concerned parents. If ever there had been kindness or innocence in him, it faded rather quickly. But where Naruto had fallen into fear and despair, and Gaara had turned to hatred, Orochimaru had settled on a different path.

He decided that the fault lay with those who couldn't understand him. At first, he just assumed they were simply wrong, but later he understood that they didn't and shouldn't matter to him, except as the pawns they so obviously were. And why should the opinions of meaningless people matter to him? That was an ideal that had never changed throughout Orochimaru's life: he saw virtually everyone by how valuable they were to him at any given moment. Most people who weren't shinobi didn't even rank, unless they had some rare ability of at least temporary use.

However inhumane this attitude might have seemed, it had served the Snake Sannin well. Despite how much he generally loathed them, he had a unique understanding of how people thought. He manipulated most of them as easily as he drew breath, with little more than trace amounts of chakra to the right throat muscles, and a few sweet words. It had taken little more than that, and some patience, to win over the crown jewel of Orochimaru's Sound army: the Fuma Five. Years of planning had gone into their development, but the results were nothing short of spectacular.

Of course, had Orochimaru known that he would only see them at their finest just minutes before his death, he probably would never have bothered to train them in the first place.

And yet that was the sight that greeted him, when he opened his eyes. The last remnants of the Fuma Clan stood over him, various looks of shock and despair on their faces.

"Orochimaru-sama," Arashi finally said, his voice thick with disbelief. "Who did this to you?"

Before Orochimaru could answer, Sasame shoved past her cousin and threw herself onto the Snake Sannin, sobbing into his neck. "No, Oro-chichi! You can't die! You can't leave us! We need you!"

"So long as you live, Sasame-chan, I will never die," Orochimaru whispered, reaching up to caress her cheek with a blackened, bloody hand. "Always remember that."

"What are your orders, Orochimaru-sama?" Kagero asked.

Orochimaru favored her with a pained smile. She was always ready to take charge when the group was distracted. She was a good soldier if nothing else. "Proceed with the plan as if I were still here. Konoha must fall, and the Hokage will die."

Kagero nodded sharply, even as four glimmering wings appeared on her back.

The Snake Sannin turned back to Sasame, who was staring at him in absolute misery. "You will be my voice now, Sasame-chan. You will lead the Sound to victory."

"Can't you use the special chakra to heal?" Sasame whimpered.

Orochimaru had tried that already, though. Summoning Madara had clearly been a mistake: the Uchiha had tampered with his body somehow, because all of the chakra he'd absorbed from the Hachibi was gone. "No. I will die here. But you must live on and carry out my plans, my children."

"We won't fail you," Arashi swore.

"You'd already be dead if I thought you could. Go."

"But what about you?" Sasame asked, clutching his hand tightly.

"I will be with you always," Orochimaru assured her. "Don't worry." With that, he closed his eyes and grew still.

"Come, Sasame-chan," Kagero said, touching her shoulder. "Orochimaru-sama has given us our orders. We must do as he commands."

Though she was clearly reluctant to do so, Sasame released Orochimaru's hand and followed her kinsmen as they departed, but not without several backwards glances.

* * *

Naruto could sleep through a lot of things, when he really needed the rest. Kyuubi tended to be more active when he wasn't, and the fox slept during most of the day, unless the situation demanded otherwise. Both had been a bit on edge since returning to Konoha, which completely threw off their sleeping patterns. Kyuubi had been awake around the clock, but was careful not to waste his chakra, should it be needed later. He would need days of rest once this was over, but so long as they lived that long, he would manage.

The brief but disastrous encounter with Iruka had not helped matters. While Arashi the wind spirit had distracted and eventually destroyed Tayuya's summoned demon, Kyuubi had been left to heal the large hole in Naruto's chest. The wound itself was little more than a memory, but it was a rare thing for Naruto to take such a serious hit, no matter who his opponent. It only reinforced the fact that Naruto should have killed Iruka back in Suna. Now the man had become a major threat, able to steal and stomach Kyuubi's chakra as Kisame's sword had.

"You keep creating more enemies for us, and I might just let you die to be rid of you," the fox growled as Naruto slowly opened his eyes.

"Yeah, right," Naruto muttered. "You love the fights way too much to ditch me."

"It's only fun when we're winning. And if you have to peel yourself off of the ground like you are now, you didn't win. If you keep getting into fights with impossible odds, it's a sure sign that either I haven't been tough enough on you, or you're just severely outclassed."

Kyuubi had barely said the words when Naruto's eyes locked on the red armored form of Uchiha Madara, just as the man sent five large, black fireballs soaring at random spots in the village, where they exploded on impact.

Naruto was almost ashamed to admit that at first, he had no real problem with that. But if Madara kept at it, eventually he was going to hit something or someone that did matter to Naruto. That, and Kyuubi clearly had something major against the Uchiha, which he refused to go into, but that Naruto accepted without question: he wasn't crazy about the one he knew, either.

Of course, Naruto could see why Kyuubi had warned him against going on the attack immediately. Madara was clearly an experienced shinobi, far above Naruto's current level, and even Kisame's, if the heat coming off of those fireballs was any indication. Naruto could clearly feel the powerful aura surrounding the Uchiha's body, as if there were no real way for him to suppress it any further.

Even against Kisame, Naruto hadn't felt completely outclassed: he could see the shark man's movement, even if he couldn't follow it all that well, and Kisame's aura hadn't been anywhere near as stifling. But then, Kisame had been trying to recruit Naruto, where Madara just wanted to destroy, so there was no real way of knowing how Kisame stacked up until the shark man was really in his element, and out for blood.

All of Kyuubi's warnings were forgotten, however, when Naruto caught a hint of jasmine drifting off of Madara's armor. This was not entirely unexpected: there were plenty of flowers in Konoha, and it was possible that some were turned into fragrant oil that might be used on such armor. But this particular scent came exclusively from Kin's favorite shampoo, and as possible explanations for that ran through Naruto's mind, he automatically tapped into Kyuubi's power, allowing the fiery, red chakra to bathe his body, sealing shut any minor wounds, massaging every muscle in preparation for hyperactivity, and forcing the fox's chakra through every pore.

Of course, Madara had noticed the presence of Kyuubi's chakra long before, so he was certainly aware of the sudden increase in it. He abruptly ceased his attack and turned to face Naruto with an utterly calm look on his face. "So, Kyuubi. You still live, even if it is in this manner. That is most fortunate for both of us."

"You won't be saying that once I beat your ass into the ground," Naruto growled, flashing his elongated fangs. "What did you do to Kin-chan?!"

Madara blinked, reading the boy's mind in an instant. "Ah, I see. She was the sacrifice that brought me back to this plane. I suppose I am grateful to her."

"Sa... sacrifice?" Naruto whispered brokenly. "She's... dead?"

"Death is often relative, as you can see," Madara said, gesturing to himself. "Although in her case, I'd say it's quite final. You can thank Orochimaru for that... that is, if I hadn't killed him already."

"Guess I owe you, then. But all that means is that I'll kill you fast," Naruto snarled, flexing his claws.

"Come," Madara said simply, making no move to defend himself.

Roaring in rage, Naruto launched himself at the Uchiha, five clones popping into existence alongside him as he did so. But with no warning, all five were destroyed, and something hard smacked into Naruto's face with enough force to turn his head halfway around, before Madara's iron grip closed on his throat.

"So slow," the Uchiha sighed. "You have yet to unlock the fox's true power. Allow me to assist you, young one."

"Let... go!" Naruto choked out, struggling wildly.

"Relax, child. Today, Kyuubi's fondest wish comes true. His vessel will be responsible for the destruction of Konoha." Madara's eyes seemed to pulse, and then Naruto went limp as visions filled his head.

He saw Kin forever falling into a pit of blacknesss, screaming for him to save her.

He saw all of his friends and family dead as Konoha burned around them.

He saw Kyuubi ripping out of his own belly, then turning back to swallow him whole.

He saw the Yondaime Hokage deciding that the survival of Konoha was more important than the happiness of an innocent baby boy.

These were powerful visions, not just because some of them were real, but because the rest could easily come to pass in just a few short minutes.

Naruto had no choice but to fall into madness, rage, and despair, which was exactly where Madara wanted him. The boy was now just beyond Kyuubi's control, but in possession of more of the fox's chakra than he had ever dealt with before. From that point on, all Madara really had to do was step back and watch as Kyuubi's chakra surrounded Naruto, first turning scarlet, and then dark as night as it sank back into the boy's skin, rapidly coating his body in jet-black fur. In just a few seconds, Naruto had been replaced by a monstrous, almost twelve foot tall, five-tailed black fox, acid-like saliva dripping from its mouth as its red-black eyes rolled wildly in its head, unable to focus on anything for more than an instant.

It was a tainted, mindless engine of violence and destruction, and by far one the most beautiful creatures Madara had ever seen. He was absolutely spellbound as he watched the fox toss its head and lash its tails, searching for the very first target.

And so he never saw the attack coming until two fingers were thrust into his neck.

"Shinigami Keppan: Fushi Mukui (Death God Blood Seal: Undead Return)!"

Madara blinked, looking over his shoulder. "A shinigami. My good fortune never seems to last very long, does it?"

Yugito's eyes narrowed. "You'd better hope we never cross paths again. For what you've done to my little brother, I will personally see to it that you die a million deaths, each worse than the last."

"How fitting. I estimate he will take a million lives before he can be stopped."

Yugito growled, and a violent surge of the Nibi's chakra slammed into the blood seal on Madara's body, obliterating him on contact. In an explosion of dust, the mightiest Uchiha left the world of the living for the second and final time. But in the place he'd been standing, the corpse of Tsuchi Kin dropped roughly to the ground, her face frozen in an expression of absolute terror.

Yugito winced as she reached down and carefully closed the dead girl's eyes. "I'm sorry I was too late," she whispered. "If I had only reached you before the summon was performed, I could've brought you back..."

Anything else she might've said was cut off as an earthshaking roar assaulted Yugito's ears. Her head whipped up to find the black fox towering over her, its red-black eyes focused entirely on her and the body she was kneeling beside. "N-Naruto-kun," Yugito breathed as the creature's fowl breath rolled over her. "It's me, Yugito. Remember?"

The fox paused, and a trace of blue appeared in its eyes. "Yuuugiii-neee," it growled.

She smiled softly, slowly reaching for the fox's muzzle. "That's right, Naruto-kun. I'm your sister."

Without warning, one of the black tails shot out and wrapped tightly around Yugito's throat, yanking her into the air so that she was dangling before the fox's face.

"Naruto-kun!" Yugito choked out as she struggled against the fox's tail. "Please stop! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Huuurt," the fox whined, its gaze going back to Kin as more blue bled into the eyes. "Kin-chan dead. Naruto fail."

"It's not... your fault!" Yugito gasped.

"Kin-chan gone. Naruto save Yugi-nee. Never lose anyone else. Never. NEVERRR!!" The fox reared back, sending a giant ball of black chakra flying out of its mouth.

Yugito watched in horror as the ball sailed over the village for a few seconds, before finally crashing down on the thankfully empty Ninja Academy. She closed her eyes, but still felt the ground shake from the impact. "Naruto-kun! You don't know what you're doing!"

"Save Yugi-nee," the fox growled again, flexing the tail that held Yugito. A small amount of demonic chakra flowed through the portion around Yugito's neck, making her cry out in pain as it branded her, leaving a black ring of scarred flesh that would never fade. Combined with the prolonged lack of air, the shock was enough to knock Yugito out almost instantly. But the last thing she saw as her shinigami eyes drifted shut was tearful face of Kin's spirit, unable to look away from what Naruto had become because of her death.

* * *

After he'd seen Orochimaru defeated at Madara's hands, Gaara had made the mistake of believing that the war was almost over. He hadn't thought that the Sound-nin would stick around long, once they'd learned of their leader's death. However, until that news actually became common knowledge, the invasion continued.

Gaara was reminded of this rather brutally, when Kyojuu and Temari arrived, relating to him how Temari had almost been killed by Tayuya. He'd made Temari sit immediately while he looked her over. But Gaara had found very few wounds: mostly she was just exhausted, and while it was not advisable, if she had to fight again, she could, after taking almost twice as many soldier pills as she had the first time. Of course, Gaara was completely unwilling to let her do any such thing. Had it been anyone else, Temari no doubt would've protested. But with Gaara being the one so worried about her, she only nodded and asked him to find out if Naruto was okay.

That was when the first dark pulse of chakra hit them, with nearly enough force to knock both Gaara and Kyojuu over. They shared a brief, concerned look, and then Kyojuu bolted as if he were on fire.

Gaara turned back to his sister, weighed his options, and then picked her up with no warning at all.

"Gaara!" Temari squealed in surprise, clinging to his neck to steady herself. "What are you doing?!"

"Naruto is... in danger," he said as they rose on a sand cloud and followed Kyojuu. "I will need all the help I can get to bring him out of it."

"What do you..." Temari's voice trailed off as they reached a nearby rooftop. From there, it was easy to see the massive form of the black, five-tailed fox, as well as the limp form of Yugito dangling from one tail. Kyojuu was already just beneath the fox's head. Amazingly, he was trying to talk to the fox calmly, but was having very little success, mostly because he let out a growl every time his gaze strayed over to Yugito. But the fox clearly recognized him, although that was no real comfort, considering Yugito's state.

Curiously, the Shodai Hokage was standing an arguably safe distance away, holding Hanabi tightly in his arms. Gaara hadn't realized he'd lost track of them, and reminded himself that such a thing was easy during an invasion. Although he was confused as to why the dead Hokage wasn't attacking, and said as much to the man.

"I can only suppress purely demonic chakra," the Shodai admitted. "But this fox's chakra, even if it is dark, is not entirely demonic. A portion of it is human, and my powers won't work on human chakra. I was unaware that a demon vessel's chakra could blend with a demon's in such a way. In every other instance, it was always one or the other, but never were they fused in this way. This is clearly Madara's doing. He has made it so that I cannot interfere."

It was not the first time that a Kage had failed him, but Gaara was in no mood for excuses. "Then make yourself useful, and look after Hanabi and the Sandaime," he snapped, putting Temari down and glaring at the Shodai. "We demon vessels will take care of our own, as we have always been forced to." The grimace on the dead man's face was not nearly as satisfying as Gaara had hoped it would be.

"Gaara," Temari whispered, reaching out for him, "you don't-"

"Stay here, Temari. Call out to Naruto, if you think it might help. But be careful. I'll not have you end up like Yugito." With that, Gaara moved off to join Kyojuu, sand spewing out of his gourd as he went.

"Your brother... he's very strong," the Shodai Hokage said at last, turning to face Temari.

"I know. That's what scares me," Temari said softly.

The dead man didn't have to meet her eyes to know that she wasn't talking about Gaara.

* * *

Kyojuu grunted softly as Gaara landed next to him. "I think we're gonna have to beat some sense into Naruto. And considering what he did to Yugito, I can't say I'll feel too bad about it."

After a moment, Gaara shook his head. "He is still our brother. We just need to remind him of that. Painfully. Our current sizes will not be adequate."

A feral grin spread across Kyojuu's face. "He never could beat me one on one."

"I think it's safe to assume you'll need the help this time," Gaara disagreed as his enlarged gourd began to crack and splinter. "You distract him, and I will get Yugito away from him."

Kyojuu was just about to nod his agreement when a black blur shot out, wrapped around his waist, and yanked him violently into the air. Gaara followed a moment later in the same fashion, although he'd had an instant to at least surround himself with sand, for all the good it did. But soon they were both dangling in front of the black fox's muzzle as it stared at them. That the red-black eyes seemed to recognize them was a small comfort at best.

"Brothers," the fox growled softly, tightening its grip on them. "MY brothers."

Kyojuu just barely held in a whine of pain as the fox's demonic chakra was forced into his body, creating a black ring of scar tissue around his waist, even through his clothing. Gaara faired no better, the demonic chakra easily seeping through his sand armor and branding a ring around his upper chest. On some instinctive level, though, he knew why the fox was hurting them. Naruto was protecting them the only way his maddened mind knew how: marking them with his chakra, so that he could always find them. Gaara would've been much more understanding, however, if Naruto had asked first, and if Yugito were still conscious.

Suddenly, the fox let out a mournful howl and began thrashing wildly, the two empty tails slamming against the ground with enough force to cause small but serious earthquakes throughout Konoha. The oldest buildings, Gaara knew, would not stand up to that type of punishment.

"What the hell's his problem now?!" Kyojuu grunted.

"His tails," Gaara said as he finally realized the problem. "He wants to protect his precious people, and he'll only be satisfied when his tails are full of them."

Kyojuu gaped at him. "You mean we have to get two MORE people to go through this crap?!"

"Not just any people. They have to be important to Naruto. So-"

Gaara's eyes widened as the fourth tail shot past them... straight towards Temari, who'd clearly heard every word and was waiting with outstretched arms. Still, the fox looked to be a lot more gentle with Temari, probably because she had been important to him the longest. She barely even hissed when the fox carefully left a scar ring around her left arm.

"But it's still no good, with the last one being empty," Kyojuu muttered, and sure enough, the black fox began to throw another violent tantrum, using its remaining tail to slap aside entire buildings that were hopefully empty by then.

None of them noticed that Hanabi had finally opened her eyes, and that the first thing she saw was Kin's spirit latched on to that last tail, screaming and crying her heart out. "I'm here, Naruto-kun!" the dead Sound kunoichi was yelling through her tears. "I'm right here! You have to stop before it's too late!"

Hanabi knew the fox could not hear Kin, and so her heart ached when it threw back its head and howled to the heavens, "WANT! MY! KIN-CHAAAAAAAANNN!!"

Knowing what she had to do, what only she could do, Hanabi climbed out of the Shodai Hokage's arms, and walked slowly towards the black fox. She could see Gaara and Temari warning her to stay back. But she also saw Yugito wake up, and a small look of reluctant understanding passed between them before Yugito nodded.

"I'm here, Naru nii-chan," Hanabi said softly, "and so is Kin-san."

The fox came to an abrupt halt, lowering itself to the ground as Hanabi stepped closer and placed her hands on its nose.

Hanabi glanced at Kin for a moment before turning back to the fox. "Kin-san doesn't want you to be angry or sad, Naru nii-chan. She loved it when you smiled for her, and she wants you to keep smiling. That's what she wants your promise to her to be."

"Promise... of a lifetime?" the fox asked weakly, bright blue leaking back into its eyes.

"That's right," Hanabi agreed. "You can mark me, too, if you really want to. But as long as I have you and Gaara to protect me, I know I'll be fine."

The fox's final tail moved towards her, but finally settled for gently brushing her cheek with its tip.

"You're not a monster, Naru nii-chan. Don't give them any more reason to believe you are. Don't let them be right," Hanabi whispered.

The fox closed its eyes and grew still, its face twisting in obvious effort. After a moment, it opened its eyes and slowly shook its head. "I don't know how to change back to what I was. It's all different this time. I can't hear Kyuubi anymore..."

"He's dead, and soon, you will be, too," said a voice from above.

The fox barely had time to look up as a brown and black monstrosity crashed down on top of him, nearly breaking his back with the impact.

Hanabi stared up in horror at the colossal, armored spider perched on top of the fox. Because the bronze armor covered so much the spider's body, she couldn't even begin to guess at its exact species, though she could see flashes of gold near the few spots the armor didn't cover completely. Perhaps the strangest thing about the spider was that despite its obvious intentions, she could not sense a trace of killing intent coming from it. That was no doubt how it had gotten so close without being detected.

She was still trying to take all this in when five coldly staring copies of Kankurou surrounded her. "I told you I don't take orders from brats," the Sand-nin muttered. "It's time you all learned what my master has been teaching me."

Hanabi gave no sign that she noticed the three rapidly descending shadows behind him, but of course Kankurou sensed them, anyway. Three of the clones spun around, flew through some rapid hand seals, and met Gaara, Kyojuu, and Yugito in mid-air with simultaneous shouts of "Gyoji no Seijin: Seichi (Imperial Seal of the Saint: Holy Ground)!"

Gaara immediately convulsed in agony, but Yugito and Kyojuu just grinned as black runes spread across their skin from the point of impact.

"I have no doubt your master killed some priest for that seal, so let me offer you some advice," Yugito hissed, ripping through the clone in front of her with razor-sharp fingernails. "Don't bother using a holy seal against a shinigami or those they've revived. In case you haven't figured it out yet, we work for the same side that invented the seal. You might as well attack the Raikage with Raiton jutsu, for all the good it would do you."

Kankurou's steady gaze revealed a flicker of amusement, but nothing else. "The seal was only part of the overall trap, and did exactly what it was intended to do: Gaara is helpless. As for you two, I think you'll be more than a little distracted."

A subtle shift of air behind her was the only warning Yugito got as she spun around to stare into the soulless eyes of Sasori. But by then, a poisoned kunai had already been forced deep into her ribs.

Kyojuu faired only slightly better as he was quickly surrounded by flying, clay birds. However, he made the mistake of batting at one that darted towards his face, and instantly set off a chain reaction of powerful explosions. When the smoke cleared, he was lying face down, with a smirking Deidara standing over him.

In mere seconds, both demon vessels were unconscious, and the remaining two were in no real condition to continue the fight. But Akatsuki had lost demon vessels under more favorable circumstances, so neither Deidara nor Sasori was surprised when Iruka sprang over the edge of the roof, plunged his rock-covered arms into the black fox's side, and began to siphon off the demonic chakra as rapidly as he was able. The fox roared in protest, but the monstrous spider pinning it down only increased the pressure as Iruka steadily sapped more of the fox's strength.

"Almost seems too easy, yeah?" Deidara asked his partner. "We may not even need the Itachi to pick up his package."

"It's just as well," Sasori replied. "Considering this is his former village, I imagine he'll be quite popular."

* * *

At that very moment, high atop the Hokage Monument, the Sound was claiming the lives of record numbers of Leaf-nin, although not in any way that was even remotely expected.

The Fuma Five stood in silence, allowing their dark chakra to flow freely and twist around their bodies in one great, purplish cyclone of hatred and vengeance. All of them stared down at Konoha, where Sound-nin were vanishing and reappearing in strange flashes of white light, striking killing blows for their side each time.

Kagero's smile widened as she allowed her power to enfold her comrades. She had dreamed of doing this under Orochimaru's watchful eye, but that was not to be. Yet it hardly made the victory any less sweet for her. "Dance, children of the Sound," she whispered. "Leap and soar to Kagero's song of war."

At her side, Sasame looked on quietly, her yellow eyes gleaming with malice. Every seal on her slim body seemed to pulse with the anticipation of use, though she was using only one to boost Kagero's teleportation skill to its highest level. "All for you, Oro-chichi," she murmured. "Today, the Leaf will burn to the ground." An abnormally long tongue flicked between her lips, the tip moving so fast that it opened a small cut on her palm. Resisting the urge to taste the blood with some difficulty, she pulled up her left sleeve and wiped the blood on the complex snake tattoo there. "Awaken, Manda-sama," Sasame said loudly. "Your summoner is dead, but his heir calls upon you to fulfill the terms of your contract." Her lips twisted into a wicked smile. "Besides, there's plenty for you to eat."

The rest of the Fuma moved back as Sasame placed her hand flat on the ground, which began to shake so hard that large chunks of rock began to rain down from the four Hokage's faces. A moment later, Manda's enormous head burst from between the faces of the Nidaime and Sandaime Hokages, his forked tongue testing the air as he turned back to stare at the Sound-nin.

"So, Orochimaru is dead, is he?" Manda hissed, not sounding the least bit upset. "Well, don't expect me to mourn him. You always did provide me with better meals, Sasame."

"That hasn't changed, Manda-sama," Sasame replied as she stepped forward. "Allow me to show you where the best meat is to be found."

"I suppose you want me to avoid eating Sound-nin as much as possible?" Manda asked as he lowered his head to a height Sasame where could easily jump on.

"Actually," Sasame said as she sat down and anchored herself with chakra, "once our victory is assured, you can eat some of them if you're not full yet."

Manda chuckled darkly as he slithered down the mountain, leaving a long trail of destruction as he purposely swatted the rocks with his tail. "So this is the new and improved Sasame that Orochimaru kept going on about, eh? For the first time in a long time, I'm glad I offered my contract to a human. Feel free to call on me any time you've got a pest problem, kid."

Sasame's smile widened. "It would be my pleasure, Manda-sama."

Arashi frowned as he watched his youngest cousin ride into battle. "Is this how she's going to be from now on?"

Kagero glanced at him. "What can we do? She is the power conduit. Sasame unlocks our true strength. Without her, we are just ordinary ninja."

"But she is barely even the Sasame we know now! Sasame never would've been so callous about killing that many people."

"But she's happy," Kamikiri pointed out. "If you really cared about her, Arashi, you'd accept her as she is. She was always meant to be Orochimaru-sama's heir, and now that's just how the world will see her. You should be happy."

Even though he said nothing else on the subject, however, it was clear that Arashi was anything but happy.

**End of Chapter 32. **

* * *

**Next Chapter: The Breaking of Konoha, Part 4:**

Itachi battles Jiraiya. Gaara learns Sasori's secret. Ino learns Konkon's secret. Shizune is found. Kisame encounters Kakashi and Usako. Sasame claims her first victim. And Kurenai fully accepts her position as a member of Akatsuki, by attacking Hiashi.

Endnotes:

I find it hard to believe that a master manipulator like Orochimaru that so greatly resembles a snake (and hell, apparently IS a snake) doesn't have some kind of snake charmer jutsu that helps him snare his henchmen. I can't see any other reason that stubborn, young boys would be drawn to him so consistently, even without the curse seal.

I suspect only a very small group of people will know where I borrowed the names of Tsunade's and Kabuto's slug summons. If you do know, don't tell anyone. (It's an ironclad rule for... um... spirited females...) I'm a bit embarrassed that I ever gave that anime a try and ended up following it as far as I did. Although it DID increase my Japanese vocabulary just a bit. And I watched it back-to-back with Great Teacher Onizuka so I wouldn't feel I was killing off all of my manhood.

I'm taking some liberties with Madara's skills, especially the final Mangekyou jutsu, now that I know what it really does. But it makes sense that it would be taijutsu, since ninjutsu and genjutsu are already covered. I gave him a fan because he was usually carrying what looked like a long umbrella in pictures, and it takes a special kind of ninja to take out an umbrella in a fight and NOT look stupid.

Yes, Orochimaru really is dead. In the sense that his body was killed while he was still in it. And if that sounds evasive, it's supposed to. Heh. But there is a reason why Sasame is taking on some of his more notable traits.

Are there holy seals in Naruto? I figure if there are cursed seals and temples, why not?

Jutsu/Ability/Weapon List:

Tsunade's jutsu:

**Ranshinsho (Important Body Points Disturbance):**

By attacking the base of the brain stem with chakra converted to electricity, Tsunade is able to flip the brain's movement signals to the arms and legs. For example, if one tried to move their right arm, their left leg would move in the way they wanted their right arm to move.

**Summoning: Ran-chan:**

Tsunade summons Ran by expelling a bright red sludge from her mouth, which contains Ran's body, split up among many much smaller bodies. If this substance lands on an enemy, Ran's bodies will quickly burrow through their skin and rapidly convert their chakra to liquid fire, burning them from the inside out. This is the basic ability of every Kotobuki fire slug, though with enough experience, it can be performed in a matter of seconds.

**Summoning: Miyu-chan**

Miyu is purely a defensive slug, engulfing those she wishes to protect with her body, and taking the damage herself while they are kept safe inside. She can take a great deal of powerful attacks before being dispelled.

Madara's bloodline limit/jutsu/weapon:

**Mangekyou Sharingan: **

The final evolution of the fully mastered Sharingan, rumored to be obtained only by killing (either figuratively or literally) one's closest friend. Madara and his brother already possessed the Mangekyou when Madara killed his brother, resulting in his own Mangekyou becoming permanent and even more powerful. The Mangekyou has three known jutsu, each from one area of the ninja arts: genjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu. Curiously, at least one attack seems to have several aspects, which manifest differently in each user. Only one who has truly mastered his Mangekyou can unite the aspects into a single, undefeatable combination.

**Tsukuyomi (Moon Reader):**

The most infamous jutsu of the Mangekyou Sharingan, for good reason. The user creates an illusionary world that is entirely his to command. Victims experience anything inside this world for 72 hours, though only a moment passes in the real world. This makes for an excellent means of torturing the mind, body, and soul in an instant, and has been known to leave victims in nearly irreversible comas. Madara seems to prefer causing madness in his victims, though.

**Amaterasu (Heavenly Light):**

At first glance, the user merely appears to summon black flames which burn steadily for 7 days. In reality, the user is ripping a hole through time and space, which leaves a burning trail in its wake. Other aspects of this jutsu include moving objects (including the user) through these portals at a speed that is apparently instantaneous (which makes it seem as if attacks pass straight through the user without harm).

**Susano'o:**

A chain of physical blows delivered so fast that the attacker is invisible to the human eye. This jutsu is the most difficult of the three Mangekyou techniques, and requires that the user first master Amaterasu to the point where teleportation speed is unbelievably high, and Tsukuyomi to the point where their will influences the outside world itself.

**Battle Fan**

A longstaff that Madara carries, which is equipped with a fan at one end. The fan can be used to spread flames or unleash powerful gusts of wind, while Madara uses the staff end occasionally as a club.

Kabuto's jutsu:

**Summoning: Sayo-chan:**

Sayo is Kabuto's personal summon (and therefore exclusive, so he can't summon any other slug), and Ran's younger sister. Sayo can increase her speed and power dramatically by leeching off of Kabuto's chakra.

Yugito's jutsu:

**Shinigami Keppan: Fushi Mukui (Death God Blood Seal: Undead Return):**

Yugito uses a small amount of her blood to create a finger-sized seal that quickly returns the undead to the underworld. This method would only be used for the violent or unruly undead, as the exact destination in the underworld is not at all pleasant.

Yugito's ability to resist Kankurou's seal is more automatic than anything else. As a shinigami, she is technically a blessed being, and is unaffected by holy seals (although that wasn't always the case). The same applies to anyone she has revived from the dead, assuming that the person isn't, well, evil.

Kankurou's jutsu:

**Kuchiyose: Jorougumo (Summoning: Wasp Spider):**

Kankurou's third puppet is actually an enormous summoned spider. Unlike his other puppets, since the spider is alive, it can move without Kankurou's commands if he should be knocked out. Kankurou's middle finger is buried deep inside the spider's armor, so even if the spider itself is dismissed, the armor remains behind as an additional threat to any foe. Aside from using its great weight to crush and batter enemies, Jurougumo is also naturally equipped with paralyzing stingers on some of its legs. Additionally, hidden panels in the armor can open to reveal flamethrowers, poisoned darts, smoke bombs, and exploding tags.

**Gyoji no Seijin: Seichi (Imperial Seal of the Saint: Holy Ground):**

A saint's seal that designates anything it touches as a holy ground, forcefully ejecting or suppressing anything demonic or impure. It has no effect on anything that is already considered righteous (such as shinigami, or those they have resurrected with good reason). In a demon vessel, the seal would essentially prevent the human vessel from accessing demonic chakra for however long it was applied, and continuously strike the vessel with crippling pain all the while. The seal's main failing is that while you would need to learn it from a holy man, you don't need to be one to use it.

Sasame's jutsu:

**Summoning: Manda**

Manda is the Snake Boss, extremely grumpy, and usually refuses to appear for anything less than a belly full of fresh humans. He rarely takes a liking to his summoners, using them mostly as a means to a free meal. For a snake of his massive size, Manda is amazingly fast and versatile, and like Orochimaru, seems to have a wide array of attacks and escape techniques that make him hard to pin down and even harder to defeat. He has a longstanding grudge against Gamabunta.

The Tanuki Nail: (remember, they're listed in order of creation)

Form 1: Gosunkugi (Long Nail) - destruction: anything the blade touches turns to sand

Form 2: Kanakugi (Iron Nail) - protection: so heavy it cuts through anything/deflects strong attacks

Form 3: Orekugi (Hooked/Broken Nail) - vengeance: causes poisoned burns that don't heal


	33. The Breaking of Konoha, Part 4

Note: Really not happy with this chapter, and I know this will sound nuts, but I put a rush on it just so I could get it out before the year's end. Yes, I know it took even LONGER, but I just decided this, what, maybe thirty-two hours before 2009? Anyway, this will probably HAVE to be re-done, I know there are mistakes.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 33: The Breaking of Konoha, Part 4**

* * *

Naruto had no idea where he was, or what he was supposed to be doing, but he had a feeling that something was definitely wrong.

He remembered facing Madara, getting really mad about Kin's death, and then... not much of anything.

After that, he recalled with surprising clarity that Kankurou had attacked him with a huge spider. The rest was all haze.

Now he was surrounded by darkness, and nothing else.

His first instinct told him that he was back in his mindscape, but that was wrong. It had never been this dark, and he wasn't knee-deep in stagnant water, or surrounded by pipes. Also, he couldn't hear the steady rumbling noises that made up Kyuubi's breathing, which always had a chilling echo no matter how far Naruto was from the fox in the maze of pipes.

Perhaps worst of all, Naruto could not feel the fox's chakra flowing through his body, at all. Usually, he at least felt traces of it, and in times of great stress, floods of it. But nothing now, and that was a problem.

Growing more worried, Naruto yanked up his shirt and molded some of his chakra.

The familiar seal appeared briefly, but was soon overtaken by a white array that had certainly never been there before. The seal array began to glow brighter until it was nearly white hot, causing Naruto to hiss as it burned his flesh. He instantly stopped molding chakra, and the array quickly lost its brilliance, the pain fading along with it.

"Well, this sucks," Naruto muttered. "Where's the damn fox when I finally need him?"

As if in reply, something very sharp sank into Naruto's left ankle. Naturally, he screamed and pulled out a kunai, ready to defend himself from the threat of the...

...the very small, very cute, but very pissed fox sitting at his feet.

Naruto had not seen very many foxes, as they weren't common in Konoha or Suna. Occasionally he had stumbled across them on missions that took him beyond the desert, but those had all been fairly normal creatures. This one was not. It was very clearly Kyuubi, except much, much, much smaller. For one thing, that was the only way Naruto could explain how such a small fox could have such a dark and imposing aura around it.

"Okay, I can't believe I'm saying this," Naruto began, "but could you please get big again? I can't take you seriously when you're like this."

The fox lashed its single tail angrily. "Listen, brat," Kyuubi growled, "I've taken this form because it's the only way I can appear to you right now. And keep in mind that I didn't have to come here and tell you anything. I could turn around right now and just leave you to whimper in the dark like a coward."

Sighing, Naruto sat down, so at least he wouldn't have to keep looking down. "So what happened? I can't remember much after I attacked Madara."

"Brilliant move, by the way, taking on the most powerful Uchiha ever with a bunch of clones. Remind me to kill you if we end up surviving."

"Note to self: being tiny makes Kyuubi cranky."

"You want a matching bite on your other leg, smart ass?"

"I'm good," Naruto muttered. "How do we fix this?"

Kyuubi snorted loudly. "Oh, that's good. You, fix anything? Right. No, YOU will sit here. I will fix this. If I left maintaining this body up to you, you'd be three inches shorter and facedown in a bowl somewhere. Death by ramen, they'd call it, and you'd be the only one stupid enough to die that way."

"Can you at least give me some idea of what happened out there?"

"Long story short, Madara messed things up. It's what he's good at. So good, in fact, that we might never be the same again. On the other hand, you might be left with some permanent enhanced senses that I was going to give you eventually, so perhaps it's a blessing in disguise."

Naruto scowled darkly. "I hate the idea of owing a Uchiha anything."

Kyuubi smirked as he faded from sight. "Maybe there's hope for you yet."

* * *

Konoha - Hospital Cafeteria - August

If there was one thing that Konkon had decided rather quickly, it was that sensible people liked foxes. So far, she'd only come across three and a half in Konoha: Ino, Haku, Naruto (he'd gotten used to foxes, or at least his fox, mostly out of necessity), and Tsunade (who'd made a point to pet Konkon thoroughly for saving her life).

Unfortunately, it was difficult to remind everyone of how great foxes were when things were so very depressing. While Ino wasn't suffering from the loss of her teammates (thanks to Konkon's influence), she was still very aware that they were gone now. Konkon felt it was her own responsibility to distract her "owner" for the time being, but Ino would probably not react well to a cute fox jumping in her lap and demanding to be petted. But with Haku busy healing a wounded genin, Tsunade healing practically everyone else, and Naruto missing in action, Konkon was the only one who could cheer Ino up. And the two of them simply sitting there in the hospital cafeteria was not going to get the job done.

Ino was staring down at her lap when two slim, sweet-smelling arms wrapped around her. She jumped in surprise, staring up into a face she knew all too well. "Mama?"

The blond woman grimaced slightly. "No, it's me, again. Maybe I need to start wearing a sign..."

"Oh," Ino said softly, relaxing a bit. "No, it's okay, Konkon. I... I really appreciate it." She closed her eyes and laid her head on Konkon's shoulder. "I don't know where I'd be without you."

Konkon had a very good idea of that, but wisely said nothing and just held Ino tighter.

They were still like that several minutes later when Sakura ventured into the cafeteria with Akamaru in her arms. She was a little shaken by seeing Ino's dead mother at the table, but quickly realized what was going on when Akamaru's nose detected Konkon's distinctive fox scent. She really hated to interrupt a moment of comfort that Ino obviously needed, but her primary concern right now was for those still fighting (and possibly dying in) the invasion.

"Um, Ino?" Sakura murmured as she stopped in front of the table. "I know you're busy, but, well... have you seen Naruto anywhere?"

Ino's eyes flew open as she covered her mouth with a hand. "I forgot all about him!"

Sakura smirked, and fell back into an old habit without even realizing it. "Guess that means he's up for grabs, then."

"Don't even try it, Forehead! He's..." Ino trailed off uncertainly. She had no idea what she'd been about to say. Naruto certainly wasn't hers, as they'd never even had that first date they'd discussed. At the same time, you didn't show interest in one girl by dating another, so Ino as good as had a firm claim on him, and certainly more than anyone else did, as far as she was concerned. Although it was very strange that she hadn't thought about him once since the attack began.

"Well, seriously. Have you seen Naruto?" Sakura asked. "Nobody else around here has, and Tsunade-sama won't let any of the genin leave to look for him, not even Kiba, who has the best chance of finding him quickly. I'm really starting to get worried..."

"Why?" Konkon asked abruptly, with more than a hint of anger in her tone. "Your dog-boy is here. Worry about him instead!"

Sakura blinked, obviously not expecting that reaction. "I was just-"

"Trying to take all the boys for yourself! So beat it, Pinky! Naruto is ours!"

Akamaru immediately began growling at the verbal attack on his mistress, and though she was not currently in fox form, Konkon began making an odd noise in her throat that was half bark, half hiss, but very intimidating all the same.

Ino merely watched this odd exchange, just as lost as Sakura for a moment. Then something clicked in her head, and without warning, she poked Konkon's navel firmly. Just as she'd expected, Konkon's eyes swirled over, and her human form vanished in a burst of smoke, revealing a limply twitching fox.

"Traitor!" Konkon squeaked as Ino picked her up by the tail and carried her away.

Ino ignored the fox's complaints until she found a nearby bathroom, walked inside, and shut the door, locking it behind her.

"If you had to go, why'd you bring me?" Konkon demanded. "I mean, it's nothing I haven't seen a million times before, but still-"

"Did you make me want to be with Naruto?" Ino interrupted.

The fox stared up at her. "Huh?"

"I'm not stupid!" Ino snapped. "I might be a little crazy at this point, but I'm NOT stupid! If I really liked him, he would've been on my mind all this time, and I'd be the one worried sick about him, not Sakura! So what did you do to me, Konkon? I thought you were on my side!"

At that, the fox glared at her. "Who else's side would I be on? I AM you, in case you forgot. And if I did anything, it was to help you! Everything I've done has been for your benefit!"

"So you DID do something! You manipulated me!"

"I made sure you were safe!"

"How?!" Ino shouted. "By making me feel something for someone I'd never be interested in otherwise?"

Konkon smirked. "Well, that's the thing, Ino. Now you'll never know if you would've given Naruto a fair chance at you, or if he would've tried without my influence. But let's get one thing straight. All I did was make you more appealing to him, and drop your guard a little. You two did the rest. So while whatever you were feeling may not have been entirely genuine, I didn't force you to do anything. You actually do like him, though maybe not as much."

"I don't understand you," Ino whispered, shaking her head. "You're supposed to be my friend. What did I ever do to you?"

"Well, let's go down the list. You let your father lock me away and made yourself weaker in the process. You wasted years of possible training time by chasing after some jerk that never liked you, anyway. You tried to distance yourself from the one friend you had that actually DID train like crazy. Then you let those poor excuses for men rape us. Not you, US. Because I was the one enduring the worst parts. You just hid like the weakling you were. And if I sound pissed, it's because I am. If you had any idea how strong we could be if we'd worked together from the start, you'd be pissed, too. And now you want to get mad at me for attracting the strongest possible mate for you? It's obvious you'll never be strong enough to protect yourself, so I just made sure someone else would. Was that so wrong?"

Ino said nothing at first. She was carefully considering everything Konkon had said to her, even if most of it was hurtful and, to an extent, true.

"You hate me, don't you?" she finally asked.

"No. But you ARE kinda hard to live with," Konkon sighed, curling her tail around her body. "Imagine being stuck in your head all of the time. Look, Ino, I'm not nice. Never have been. But it's my job to keep us both living, and considering how hard you make that, I had to do some drastic things behind your back. You don't have to like it, and I don't expect you to. You can even hate me. But you'd better damn well remember that the only reason you're alive to hate me is because I made it possible. Maybe I'm not your friend, but I'm the best thing you've got. So if you don't like the way I protect you, get strong enough so that I don't have to. That means learning the lessons I've been trying to teach you all along."

"Like what?" Ino murmured, sounding hurt but strangely determined.

Grinning, Konkon vanished in a puff of smoke, and Ino nearly gasped when Shikamaru stepped out. "First lesson: combining genjutsu and ninjutsu. Right now your illusions only look real, but you can make them real, with some planning and practice. It's like the way a shadow follows a ninja. While you're busy with one, the other can kill you... if you're a Nara, anyway."

"Do you have to look like that?" Ino asked bitterly.

"I don't have to, but the whole reason we're in this mess is because you're too used to running away. No more running, Ino. From now on, we face your problems head on, no matter what. Your friend is dead, and we can't change that. But since you can see him whenever you want, you should have to see him when you don't want to. Get used to it. The faster you learn this lesson, the faster we move on to your next dead friend."

Ino definitely didn't like the sound of that, but if it kept her from staring at her dead teammates, she'd learn anything Konkon was prepared to teach her.

* * *

Kisame was one of the few ninja alive that had met Uchiha Itachi, lived, and contained no real fear of the man. The reason for this was twofold: Kisame had encountered beings that would leave even Itachi whimpering in fear, and so the shark man really found Itachi more amusing than anything else. Itachi was also one of the few humans that Kisame respected enough to obey, sometimes.

At the very least, they were strangers who had eventually become comrades. At the most, they were friends, or at least approaching friendly towards each other, when Kisame wasn't trying to be annoying and Itachi was inclined to say more than a handful of words. They understood each other, which was not always possible in their organization (no one had understood Hidan, all assuming that Kakuzu would find a way to kill him for good, eventually).

Kisame's reputation, both as one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, and Itachi's partner, was something that he took very seriously. So he was almost honorbound to kill, or at least seriously wound, any worthy challengers that he came across. That was part of why he'd headed straight for Kakashi's chakra signature the moment he recognized it moving towards the stadium. He couldn't have the Copy Ninja telling everyone that he'd walked away from a fight from Kisame with no real scars to show for it.

The other part was just pure fun.

But Kisame was not having fun. Kakashi had quickly been joined by a female ANBU with a peculiar mask and a mastery of Suiton jutsu that Kisame had not seen in years. Between the two of them, they had forced Kisame into a stalemate. Kakashi was no true swordsman, but he'd clearly run into enough of them to pick up the basics of avoiding a sword. The Copy Ninja was relying purely on speed and taijutsu to cancel out the effects of Samehada's chakra absorption. Kisame was more than a little surprised by that, because of all the things Kakashi was known for, taijutsu was nowhere on the list. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that Kakashi did nothing but train in taijutsu in his spare time (or just constantly trained against someone who did).

The female ANBU was the real problem. For every Suiton jutsu that Kisame unleashed, she had a counter that either turned it back on him, or cancelled it out entirely, and usually used far less chakra in the process. Unlike Kakashi, she was keeping her distance, relying on kunai and exploding tags to do the bulk of her damage. Kisame wasn't sure why, though: the one time he had rushed her, he'd ended up with a very deep wound in his thigh, courtesy of the standard issue ANBU sword strapped to her back. The cut had healed very slowly, and he'd bled the entire time, which had never happened to him before.

Kisame was growing both frustrated and worried. Kakashi he could take down at any time, but the ANBU was a real nuisance. There was no sense in continuing to waste chakra here, even if he had it to spare. Itachi might need him later, and unlikely as that was, Kisame wasn't about to fail his partner.

"Screw this," he finally growled, falling back a bit and clutching Samehada tightly in one hand. "I've got better things to do."

Kakashi and the ANBU watched, shocked, as Kisame plunged the sword into his own ribs.

Behind her mask, the ANBU's eyes narrowed as she waited for Kisame's blood to flow.

Only it didn't.

Her eyes widened as thick quills formed all over Kisame's skin, and the sword's hilt vanished inside his body.

"Move!" Kakashi shouted, but it was too late.

Moving far faster than they'd seen so far, Kisame closed the distance between them in less than a heartbeat, his fist plowing through the ANBU's mask with such ease that it embedded several shards of the mask in her face, leaving it a bloody mess. A long, blue tail that definitely hadn't been there before caught Kakashi under the chin and threw him headfirst into the ground. Even if the Copy Ninja wasn't unconscious from the impact, he would be soon.

"You're lucky I don't have time to waste on you," Kisame muttered as he vanished into thin air.

There was silence for several moments.

"Usako?" Kakashi finally groaned out, his voice muffled and almost sleepy.

"What?" she grunted, having some trouble keeping blood out of her throat.

"I really hate that guy."

"That makes two of us."

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Gaara was no stranger to feeling pain. While it was true that he almost never got hurt by outside sources, there was no demon vessel alive or dead that hadn't experienced their share of pain. Almost by definition, demon vessels were required to endure enormous suffering.

Shukaku had never politely asked Gaara if he'd mind giving up control of his body for a while. Instead, Shukaku had fought for every bit of Gaara's mind and body that he did control, clawing violently at the boy's psyche until he at least had enough space so that sharing the body was tolerable. But a demon like Shukaku was never satisfied for long, so the only real way for Gaara to live with him was to keep him asleep most of the time. And even if it had been years since Shukaku had last caused him any real pain, Gaara never forgot that feeling. It was impossible to forget the sensation of a living disease gradually taking over your body, laughing in your head all the while.

The pain Gaara was currently feeling brought all of the miserable memories flooding back. The only difference was that this time, he could hear Shukaku howling in fury and agony right along with him, and that actually worried him. There wasn't much that could hurt Shukaku, and anything that could was to be feared and avoided at all costs. That Kankurou had probably learned such a sealing technique just for the sake of defeating Gaara only hurt more.

When had he lost his brother? Had they ever really even been brothers? Why was it that Temari still loved him, while Kankurou didn't? How could they end up being so different from each other? Gaara had no idea, and feared he never would discover the answers to such complicated questions. For now, though, he would settle to an abrupt end to the pain.

The solution came from the last person he wanted help from: the Shodai Hokage, who laid a hand on Gaara's chest and began to pour green chakra into the demon vessel's body. Gaara knew at once that this was what the dead Hokage had used on Hanabi, though it was far different from any healing jutsu he'd seen a medic-nin use.

The Shodai seemed to read the question in Gaara's stern gaze. "Nature chakra," he said simply, increasing the flow.

Gaara was still confused, but offered no protest. The pain from Kankurou's seal was rapidly becoming little more than a memory. Beyond that, Gaara could feel Shukaku settling down in the back of his mind, even as the demon subconsciously drew on the green chakra and sent it rushing throughout Gaara's body in an energizing flood.

"Every object and being that occurs naturally in this world can release nature chakra," the Shodai Hokage explained after a few moments. "But very few can harness it the way the greater demons can. And because it is found almost everywhere, there is no way to seal such chakra. Demons instinctively know how to boost their power with nature chakra, and only a handful of humans have ever truly mastered the art. Since the greater demons have been given power over certain aspects of nature, only they know how to manipulate nature chakra and bend it completely to their will."

"How is it that you can use nature chakra?" Gaara demanded.

"I was blessed with a bloodline limit that allows me to tap into just one aspect of it. But that, along with years of research, has brought me to the point where I can call on it with ease. Yet there is a great deal I do not know about nature chakra, and as Shukaku's vessel, you can wield the power far better than I can. Use it to save your friends." After a few more seconds, the Shodai removed his hands and stood up, turning to leave.

Gaara almost insisted that Naruto and the others were family, not mere friends, but decided against it. "What will you do?" he asked instead as he got up, eager to test out this new chakra, but still somewhat suspicious of the Shodai's intetions.

Pausing, the Shodai Hokage glanced over his shoulder at Gaara with a look that had no doubt stopped past enemies of Konoha dead in their tracks. "I will remove these invaders from my village."

* * *

Itachi was not accustomed to having his work done for him. It tended to breed laziness, and aside from that, he preferred seeing a job done exactly right, and so tended to do it himself.

So far, Kankurou hadn't impressed him, but the boy being apprenticed to both Sasori and Deidara had to mean something, and that Itachi did respect, if only inwardly. Although when he arrived on the scene to find that Kankurou and Iruka had managed to capture Uzumaki Naruto, Itachi was almost driven to compliment them. After all, he had felt the huge, dark pulse of chakra several minutes ago, which could only have come from a partial transformation and the manifestation of at least some of Kyuubi's tails. That a chuunin and a genin with only some knowledge of sealing had defeated that was no small feat. Granted, the chuunin had a cursed seal, and the genin was that in name only, but it was still fairly impressive.

Kankurou said nothing as Itachi appeared with Kurenai in tow. He was a good soldier, and he had his orders. He merely handed over the bound, unconscious Naruto. Iruka, on the other hand, had a harder time with it, his face and arms twitching as he watched Naruto be handed over. Itachi could tell it was taking everything the man had not to kill the boy right then and there. Of course, Itachi would kill Iruka before that could happen, as he was not about to let years of Akatsuki's planning be brushed aside for petty revenge. Naruto would die eventually, once they were done with him, and not a moment before.

Itachi hadn't even taken a step when the air beside him seemed to split, and he came face to face with the fearsome scowl of the Toad Sannin.

"I'll take the boy, if you don't mind, Itachi-kun," Jiraiya said calmly. There was no trace of humor in either his face or his voice.

"With all due respect, Jiraiya-sama, I must insist on keeping him," Itachi replied just as calmly, although his grip on Naruto tightened, even as his free hand rested gently on the hilt of his sword. "Konoha had a chance to unlock his unlimited potential, and they threw it away. Suna only barely scratched the surface. Akatsuki will make him what he is truly meant to become."

"Dead?" Jiraiya snorted, flexing his large fingers in preparation for battle. "Somehow, I think he'd rather live."

"That's why he doesn't get a choice in the matter. Neither do you."

Throughout the entire confrontation, Jiraiya had not even once looked at Kurenai. So both she and Itachi were thoroughly shocked when Jiraiya vanished and reappeared just in front of her, a Rasengan whirling in his right hand as he thrust it straight at her.

Itachi was not insane, but he was just crazy enough to know how Jiraiya was thinking. The Toad Sannin needed to know how important Kurenai was to Itachi. If he did nothing, she would die, and Konoha wouldn't need to worry about listing her as a missing-nin. If Itachi protected her, then she obviously had some value to him or someone else in Akatsuki. Perhaps someone who had known Jiraiya before he re-devoted himself to becoming the best shinobi possible might have been shocked and appalled by his methods. But Itachi just saw it as fiendishly clever, and secretly wished Jiraiya had brought along a companion to be used against him.

Rather predictably, Itachi moved into the Rasengan's path, meeting the swirling ball of death. But instead of drilling straight through him and Kurenai, as it clearly had enough power to do, the Rasengan slammed into Itachi and met resistance, in the form of the black sheath of his sword.

Jiraiya's eyes widened as the sheath glowed bright red, and the Rasengan soon followed suit, until it was too hot to handle. He withdrew his hand and backed away as Itachi snapped the sheath to the left, sending the ball of blistering air flying off into the distance. "That," the Toad Sannin said slowly, shaking his head, "is quite a sword."

"Youshin and I thank you, Jiraiya-sama. But you will not see more than that glimpse of his true power unless you leave me with no other alternative. And I doubt even you are that good." With no further warning, Itachi threw Naruto to Kurenai and launched himself at Jiraiya, beginning a rapid exchange of punches easily too fast for most jounin to keep up with. But Jiraiya dodged or blocked each one, sneaking in a few of his own from time to time, although Itachi was able to dodge those himself. Clearly, they weren't going to decide anything that way.

Itachi backed off first, spitting out a fireball as big as his head as he moved away.

But Jiraiya was prepared for that, spitting out a great deal of oil as a counter.

The resulting explosion knocked them both off of their feet, but Jiraiya, having planned for that in advance, recovered first, closing the distance between them and again trying to shove a Rasengan through Itachi's chest. There was no way to get Youshin's sheath in the way in time, but Itachi startled the Toad Sannin again by meeting the Rasengan with a swirling ball of fire that seemed very similar to his own attack.

Jiraiya's momentary shock cost him, as Itachi fed more chakra into the fireball, causing it to engulf the Rasengan, and very nearly the older shinobi's hand. Itachi caught the slight bulge in Jiraiya's throat this time, but before the wily old man could spit out oil again and force them to part, Itachi detonated the fireball himself, just as he shoved it towards the Toad Sannin. Jiraiya was only fast enough to stop himself from spitting out the entire amount of oil in his mouth, but the little bit that did escape only made the attack worse as it blew up just inches from his chest.

There was no time for Itachi to relax as he came to a stop several feet away, his eyes scanning the area. Certainly that could've been a fatal blow, but until he had Jiraiya's head in his hands, he would assume that the Toad Sannin was alive and well.

Sure enough, he was attacked from behind by the real Jiraiya, or at least one that wasn't at all damaged from the previous attacks. As he was expecting the attack, Itachi was able to block the punch that might've otherwise caved in his skull. A common misconception was that Tsunade was the strongest of the Sannin, physically. Actually, each had specialized in one field: Orochimaru in genjutsu, Tsunade in taijutsu, and Jiraiya in ninjutsu. Of course, each Sannin had considerable talent in all three fields, and while Tsunade was known for her strength, Jiraiya didn't use chakra to augment his, largely because there was no need to. Itachi knew all of that, and knew better than to try and match Jiraiya's raw strength too many times. Speed and precision would only save the Uchiha for so long against the Toad Sannin, and they both knew it.

For much the same reason, Jiraiya wasn't counting on physical blows to win. Almost every other attack he made was a potentially lethal blow, and every Rasengan thus far had contained more than enough power to drill through most foes. Jiraiya was not interested in bragging about how he had faced Uchiha Itachi and lived to tell about it, like so many others had. A wise shinobi did not challenge one of the Uchiha unless they meant to fight to the death, and Jiraiya was no fool.

But Itachi was not fighting at full power, and that had to be taken advantage of.

Once the next exchange ended, Jiraiya took a moment to catch his breath, and to stall.

"I can't help but notice that you're not using those infamous eyes of yours. It's not every day you find an Uchiha that doesn't automatically turn on his Sharingan in a fight."

Itachi glared at him. "The Sharingan is a useful tool, but I will not make the mistake of growing reliant on it, as my kinsmen did."

A trace of real humor flashed in Jiraiya's eyes. "So that's why. Good to know. For a minute, I thought you were just trying to insult me."

"Never. You are worthy of an honorable death," Itachi replied solemnly.

Jiraiya smirked. "You're all heart, kid."

* * *

Konoha - Former Hidden Laboratory - August

Kabuto had a very good idea of what he'd find when he opened the door, but he was still very much impressed.

He entered the room just in time to see Shizune literally rip off a Sound-nin's face with her clawed hands. Her eyes were blood red and bulging, her teeth bared in a feral snarl as she tore out the man's throat as he fell.

"I do believe he's dead, my dear," Kabuto noted.

Shizune's eyes snapped over to him, and she crossed the room in a second, her claws reaching for his throat. There was no way to know for sure if she recognized him, or if she were just attacking anything with a pulse. Not that it really mattered, in the end.

An instant before she could reach him, Kabuto's eyes narrowed and turned red, stopping Shizune in her tracks. "Enough," he growled.

The kunoichi seemed to collapse in on herself as Kabuto spoke, all traces of aggression gone as she struggled just to remain standing and sane. "Kabu-kun?" she murmured, clutching her head with bloodstained hands. "Where am I? What happened? I can't remember... my head-"

"Just relax, nee-san," Kabuto said softly, gently helping her up and holding her close. "You're safe with me." He could tell that the resulting grimace on her face had little to do with her current state.

"Where is Tsunade-"

"You need to keep busy," Kabuto interrupted smoothly. "It helps soothe the blood that's trying to boil over inside of you. I have a little project for just that purpose."

He led her into the next room, and Shizune's eyes widened as she immediately recognized the person stretched out on an operating table. At least, she recognized the clan markings on his forehead. "A Kaguya? But I thought they were all-"

"Surely you've heard Tsunade say that nothing is beyond Orochimaru-sama's reach? She wasn't exaggerating at all. I want you to do whatever you can for this man, nee-san. He's very important to me."

Despite her obvious reluctance, Shizune's duty as a medic-nin at least demanded that she diagnose the Kaguya. Beyond that, she was curious: it might very well be the only chance she ever got to examine one. She would never reach Tsunade's level of expertise if she passed up a challenging case like this one.

Kabuto knew all of that, of course, and smiled to himself as Shizune started to work. Everything on his end was going according to plan.

* * *

Konoha - Clan Districts - August

On average, nine out of ten shinobi would recognize Manda, even if they had never seen him before. Summoned snakes rarely ever reached his size, and those that did lacked his distinctive coloring. Out of all the Sannin summons, Manda was the only one likely to destroy a village for no reason other than hunger or boredom, so it was safe to say that the very sight of him drove many people to overwhelming fear.

Fortunately for Morino Ibiki (and for Konoha), he was not among that number. The twenty-man squad that he currently led was one of the few that lasted more than a minute against Manda. Others might have run, or at least made a mistake that cost them their lives fairly quickly. Ibiki's men were different: they didn't fear death nearly as much as what Ibiki would do to them if they failed and somehow managed to survive. That was so much worse than death, in their minds.

Ibiki only gave one order the entire time: "Fan out and aim for the weak points!"

Technically, Manda had no weak points, other than the vulnerable spots that all snakes shared: mainly, the eyes, the inside of the mouth, and any point where two or more scales met. It would still take a tremendous amount of force to wound any of the aforementioned spots, but a couple of precisely placed exploding tags would remedy that.

Manda was more amused than anything else as he was assaulted by projectile weapons and tiny (from his perspective) streams of fire. He ignored most attempts to harm him and focused on the men behind them, snapping a few up whenever they were foolish enough to cluster together.

After losing his twelth man, Ibiki decided that enough was enough. In what most ninja would consider pure suicide, he waited until Manda was busy swallowing yet another Leaf-nin, then leaped onto the giant snake's tail, staying attached with chakra to his feet and racing up the long, winding body. It took several minutes to make his way up to Manda's head, as every large breath or quick movement from the snake forced Ibiki to switch his focus from gaining ground to holding on for dear life.

The dark aura hit Ibiki the moment he set foot on Manda's head. His eyes narrowed as he glared back at the small, orange-haired girl sitting calmly at the center of Manda's head, watching him with golden, slitted eyes that told him everything he needed to know. The body was different, but the malevolent aura surrounding it was the very same that Ibiki had feared for so many years.

"Orochimaru," he whispered, swallowing hard and drawing a kunai in each hand.

The girl giggled softly. "I'll take that as a compliment, Ibiki-san. He said you were very brave. I almost regret having to kill you. I bet you'd be fun to play with."

Ibiki said nothing, carefully taking in every detail of the girl's slim body. It made no sense that Orochimaru would take over such a body, unless it possessed an extremely powerful bloodline limit. And while the girl's aura was dark and powerful, it was slightly different from Orochimaru's, but still similar enough for him to have mistaken her for the Snake Sannin. Whatever the reason for that, it could only be bad news for Konoha.

The kunai were flying from Ibiki's fingertips almost without thought, and then he was charging at the girl, already forming the hand seals for his next attack. He couldn't allow her the chance to gain another advantage over him.

The girl made no attempt to move, and the kunai hit home, one sinking into her heart, the other burying itself deep into her throat. Ibiki was so startled that he faltered, but realized his mistake as the girl's overly loud gagging became a cackle. Her tongue shot towards him, clearing eight feet just before it plunged through his neck. Through some small miracle, she missed his spinal cord by inches, but Ibiki soon realized it was nothing of the sort as her tongue gleefully tore through the muscles in his neck and teasingly wrapped around his spine, each tiny brush of her tongue sending waves of agony throughout his body.

He sank to his knees, shuddering uncontrollably as she slowly walked towards him, her eyes glowing with malice.

"You taste delicious, Ibiki-san," she cooed into his ear. "I was going to give you to Manda-sama, but now I think I'll keep you for myself. You're so lucky!"

"And you're not," Ibiki grunted, using all of his remaining strength to jam a kunai with an exploding tag into the back of her neck. He immediately ignited it with a simple flare of his chakra, and the resulting explosion consumed them both, or so he'd hoped.

But when the flames cleared, Sasame of the Fuma Clan was holding Ibiki's dead body in her arms, even as the demonic chakra in her body rapidly healed her burns. "It was a nice try, Ibiki-san. But I can't die just yet. I have so many more people to kill. I know you understand."

* * *

If there was one thing Hanabi had not foreseen, it was being reduced to a stand-in medic-nin while her friends fought around her. Of course, she had no illusions about what she was capable of in the grand scheme of things, but she had almost no medical training, and the only thing that kept her from trying to rejoin the battle was loyalty to her Hokages. It was her job, as the Shodai had told her, to keep constant pressure on the Sandaime's wounded arms, so that he didn't bleed to death. The old man was only barely conscious now as it was, and Hanabi truly sympathized with him. The village was in a state of emergency, and all he could do was sit there and watch while others fought for him. She certainly knew how that felt.

Gaara had chosen to engage Sasori, and seemed to be holding his own. He was fighting in a way that Hanabi had never seen him do before: freely using Shukaku's talents without hesitation or reluctance. Sasori made it necessary, though: even when Gaara had been able to avoid the dangers of direct contact with Sasori, the Akatsuki puppet master had still been armed with a wide array of puppets with poisoned weaponry, which forced Gaara to rely on not just his sand shield, but Shukaku's tail as well. He'd gotten the idea from Sasori, who was using his own scorpion-like tail to block all of Gaara's major attacks. Fortunately, the tail was apparently the sturdiest of Shukaku's defenses, because Gaara had been fighting for nearly twenty minutes without suffering any ill effects from the poison.

The Shodai Hokage had paired off with Deidara, but it was hard to keep track of either. Deidara was constantly either hiding himself behind or trying to kill the Shodai with numerous explosions, while the Shodai kept replacing himself with logs and wood clones to avoid damage. But it was the Shodai Hokage who finally pulled ahead, managing to plant a curious seed on Deidara's back. After several minutes, the seed burst into bloom, and greenish-brown vines began to wrap around Deidara's body like a snake, tightening around his limbs to the point where he had trouble just breathing, much less using his chakra.

As if in response, Gaara stepped up his own battle then, finally unleashing Gosunkugi and turning every puppet near him into sand with a few well-aimed slashes. Sasori was forced to backpedal as his own tools became more fuel for Gaara's defenses.

"You shouldn't be able to access the demon's power," Sasori muttered, his eyes narrowed.

"The demon knows more tricks than you, apparently," Gaara replied with a smirk.

"We will see," Sasori replied, his large tail flying just over his shoulder and stabbing at Gaara's face.

In response to Gaara's mental command, a thick slab of rock shot up from the ground and shielded him from the blow, but cracked from the impact. He'd noticed that while he could still manipulate sand with Shukaku's power sealed off, nature chakra just didn't give it the same density and speed that demonic chakra did. Earth, however, was an element that Gaara had learned to control without Shukaku's influence, and had proven to be far more dependable in his fight with Sasori.

"There is no point in your resisting," Sasori said. "You are only delaying the inevitable. We have captured far more powerful demon vessels than you, and with each successful capture, we grow stronger and more capable. That is the nature of Akatsuki. There is no chance of you escaping."

"I am not interested in escaping," Gaara replied. "I am interested in killing you."

"Are you?" Sasori whispered. There was an odd hissing noise, and Gaara's eyes widened as Sasori's chest opened up, revealing a boy that looked to be his own age. That was not all they had in common, however.

One reason it had been so hard for Gaara to accept the fact that he had a family was that Temari and Kankurou had never looked much like him. While Gaara had seen the resemblance between himself and his father, the late Yondaime Kazekage had been the worst possible example of a relative.

But looking at Sasori's true face, there could be no doubt that they were related. The shape of his face, the overly familiar way his lips naturally thinned into a line, even the reddish tint to his hair all identified him as being a close relative.

However, as the seconds passed, Gaara's shock slowly gave way to grim resignation.

Someone else in his family wanted to kill him.

Well, that was old news with him by now. And he was sick of it.

Gaara drove his fists into the slab of rock, barely even registering the pain as the slab cracked further and split. Instead of falling to the ground, the thick pieces of rock followed his command and bonded to his arms, until both were completely encased in rock casts.

Sasori blinked, but gave no other sign that the sight was anything but normal for him.

"You must think that seeing your real face will have some sort of impact on me," Gaara whispered, lowering his head. "And it has." His head snapped up, revealing a single tear slipping from his right eye, and a feral smile spreading across his face. "I've decided to beat the life out of you with my own hands. No jutsu, no ninja skills. I am going to kill you, and only when I taste the bitter warmth of your lifeblood on my tongue will we truly be related... for a moment."

"You will be defeated long before that could ever happen," Sasori answered confidently as the man-sized puppet he'd been wearing sprang to his side, ready for battle.

Gaara's response seemed to be little more than a twitch, and yet it was far more: he had just given complete control of his tail and the remaining nature chakra to Shukaku, who was by now all too eager to kill Sasori and smash any remaining puppets to pieces.

With no more warning, Gaara, the demon Shukaku, Sasori, and his most reliable puppet met in a clash of raw hatred and steady determination. It was a battle that would change all of their lives, as one would not survive.

* * *

The moment he'd officially joined Akatsuki, Itachi had realized that he would one day find himself battling one or more of the Sannin.

The moment he'd met Orochimaru, however, Itachi had known he would live to fight all three. Not because he thought so much of his own skills, but because Orochimaru had immediately struck him as the kind of man to hold endless grudges and drag others into his own problems, and sure enough, all three Sannin had become major thorns in the side of Akatsuki.

Jiraiya was the only one he'd actually feared dying against, for the simple fact that Jiraiya was the only one with nothing left to lose. A man like that wasn't afraid of dying in battle, and sometimes even looked forward to it. A man like that would take chances others wouldn't, because he never worried about what he'd do tomorrow, and didn't even necessarily believe that there would be a tomorrow for him.

But Jiraiya was even worse than that, merely because they both knew what was on the line. The winner would walk away with Naruto, a boy that had enough power to change the world, for good or for evil.

Still, for all of his preparations, Itachi was not doing as well as he'd hoped. He hadn't expected Jiraiya to have much experience against the Sharingan, but the man obviously had. And since the older man's will was stronger than Itachi's, he couldn't force Jiraiya to look into his eyes. Itachi had activated his Sharingan as a last resort, but all it had been good for so far was helping him predict a few of Jiraiya's moves. The man was still entirely too fast to block all of the time. That was the smallest of his worries.

The largest was that any time Itachi thought he'd hurt Jiraiya, the target would turn out to be yet another clone. So far, Jiraiya had relied solely on oil, Rasengans, and taijutsu for offense. For someone like him, that was fairly conservative. Meanwhile, Itachi was burning through chakra at a far faster rate, thanks to his Sharingan and Katon jutsu, which were notorious for consuming chakra far faster than any other elemental type. Itachi wasn't used to fighting that way: usually he could depend on his speed being enough to reach an enemy at a distance. But he couldn't ever recall fighting someone faster than him, so he had no idea how to deal with it, other than to spit fireballs at them.

Finally, Itachi decided that he'd wasted too much time and chakra. He was still in Konoha, after all, and could not afford to drag this battle out any longer.

However, the moment he decided that was one of the few times Jiraiya had glanced at his face, and both made their move at the same time.

Itachi started to move his body left, then lunged to right, burying his black sword's blade deep in Jiraiya's heart... only for Jiraiya to explode into smoke, just as two iron grips locked onto the Uchiha's ankles. Itachi only had time to look down as the first Rasengan took his left arm at the shoulder, tearing it clean off. Two more Rasengans nearly claimed his feet, but Itachi was still aware enough to break free, ignoring the massive blood loss and pain coursing through his body with every breath.

It was only then that the real Jiraiya appeared, dismissing the clones with a thought. "Were this any other day, you might have killed me eventually, Itachi-kun. But I can't let you have the boy. Not this time." He kept his distance, however, because even with one arm gone, blood rushing from what remained, and running low on chakra, an Uchiha was still an Uchiha, and more importantly, Itachi was still Itachi. So Jiraiya wasn't really surprised when Itachi gripped his sword tightly in his remaining hand.

He WAS surprised when a fiery red aura surrounded the Uchiha, seeming to originate from the sword itself.

"Scorch the world, Youshin," Itachi hissed, and then the impossible happened.

Jiraiya knew the world's greatest medic-nin, and what he saw next was definitely medically impossible.

Itachi's arm grew back in a burst of flame, as if it had never been gone. And from the way Itachi's eyes regained their fire, he would bet anything that his chakra had been restored.

"It would seem I am no match for you alone, Jiraiya-sama," Itachi said gravely. "But that is part of why I joined Akatsuki. So I would not have to face you alone."

Jiraiya dove aside, barely holding in a hiss of pain as something raked his ribs, shredding the flesh messily and sending blood flying everywhere. He rolled away and stood up to find something that had once been Kisame standing next to Itachi. Now, it looked more like Kisame had gotten into a fight with a man-sized porcupine, and eaten it.

Kisame's gaze shifted briefly to Itachi's sword, and Jiraiya noted some surprise in the shark man's eyes. "You had to draw yours, too? Damn, this just isn't our day."

"On the contrary, Kisame. I think Youshin and Samehada are happy to have some real use after so long. But trying to kill this man now would be a mistake."

"Glad we agree. Now hand over the boy," Jiraiya demanded.

"What boy?" Itachi asked calmly, even as Kurenai, and the unconscious Naruto she'd been holding, faded from sight, obviously the products of genjutsu.

"Well, damn," Jiraiya muttered, wondering just when Kurenai had thrown up that illusion, or if she'd ever really had Naruto at all. "She's gotten better."

"All who join us do," Kisame replied smugly, and then he and Itachi both vanished behind a thick column of flames.

"Now I remember why I hate Uchiha," Jiraiya sighed, shaking his head. "Too damn full of surprises." He bit his thumb and wiped the blood on the ground, instanly producing a man-sized, orange toad beneath his feet. "Let's move, Gama. I don't want their trail to grow any colder than it already has."

Gama croaked in agreement, then took to the air with a powerful leap.

* * *

Kurenai was both amazed and frustrated to admit that she was lost in her own village.

True, as a jounin of Konoha, she'd known the layout of the village like the back of her hand, and that knowledge was still there. But now she was an enemy of Konoha, and while the mental map remained, she'd never been in a position where she'd had to escape the village without being spotted. So she knew many excellent places to hide, as well as every possible way to exit the village. But she couldn't just leave: she was supposed to wait for some other member of Akatsuki to act as escort, if for no other reason than to stall for her while she got Naruto out of the village.

Kurenai was under no illusions about the boy, either. She knew what he was, what he held inside him, and had a very good theory about what Akatsuki had in store for him. On the other hand, she'd heard stories about the things Naruto had experienced in Konoha, and personally thought that dying for a good reason was better than simple, ugly hatred. She didn't really think Akatsuki had a good reason to kill the boy, but even that was better than dying at the hands of Konoha. It had to be: that was why he'd begged to leave, wasn't it? If Naruto's death was the the price she had to pay for power, she could live with that, eventually. In all honesty, she'd already done far worse in the name of Konoha, and didn't know of a jounin who hadn't. Konoha may not have been evil, but as Itachi had already shown her, everything had its own dark side, if you knew where to look.

She wasn't sure how she should feel about Itachi. He was easily the foremost expert on genjutsu that she'd ever come across, and she had begun to see him as something as a sadistic sensei, which was actually not uncommon where ninja were concerned. And since just his name struck fear into the hearts of most people, she'd actually felt a lot safer with him around, even if he did routinely threaten her. Kurenai didn't like that she'd left him to face one the Sannin, nor was she crazy about the way Jiraiya had tried to kill her. But it only confirmed a point that Kisame had been trying to drill into her head: the only way she was going home now was as the corpse of a traitor.

The idea didn't bother Kurenai as much as she'd thought it would. Her clan was not particularly a close-knit group, and she'd lived alone for years. Certainly she'd miss her friends, her students, and Asuma, but she'd mostly made peace with that. She told herself that she was getting stronger under Itachi, which would in turn force those she cared about to become stronger in order to defeat them. She was doing the ones she loved a favor. She had to think of it that way, in order to sleep at night. Was it better to remain their friend and stay weak, or become their enemy while everyone involved grew stronger? Kurenai had made her choice, and there was no going back. The boy in her arms now was proof enough of that.

* * *

Konoha - Hospital - August

"Well, he's not going to die any time soon, which is more than most people can say after fighting Itachi," Tsunade sighed as she removed her hand from Sasuke's forehead.

Hinata nodded, turning away from Sasuke's unconscious form. "Thank you for helping him, Tsunade-sama. I really do appreciate it."

Tsunade waved off her thanks. "I didn't do much. His body mostly healed itself. I don't know where these Uchiha get their power, and I'm not sure I want to know after what I saw today. But you should keep a close eye on him, Hinata. He's not going to take this defeat well at all."

Some of the light seemed to fade from Hinata's eyes. "I know," she said softly.

"Did you know Itachi?"

Shaking her head, Hinata replied, "He wasn't the type of person you could get to know. We spoke a few times, but other than that..."

"Does he have a reason to want you dead?" Tsunade asked grimly.

"Not that I know of, but as I said, I never truly knew him. But even if Itachi has nothing against me, I won't let him take Sasuke from me."

Tsunade nodded slowly, resisting the urge to smile. She could tell that Hinata knew death wasn't the only way she might lose Sasuke to Itachi. So many Uchiha had become obsessed with one thing or another in the past, and Sasuke already had his obsession: killing Itachi. Now that he'd failed in that, and seen how much more powerful Itachi was, Sasuke might never bounce back. Or if he did, he might be even more devoted to the idea of Itachi's death, allowing nothing and no one to stand in his way. Tsunade prayed that Hinata knew how to deal with that, because in her experience, the only way to stop an Uchiha with his mind set on a goal was to kill him, and even that wasn't easily done.

They were interruped by a soft popping noise as an oil-black toad emerged from a small cloud of smoke and landed gently on Tsunade's shoulder. It made a few rapid croaks, which Tsunade obviously understood, from the way her eyes narrowed.

"Is something else wrong, Tsunade-sama?" Hinata asked hesitantly.

"Stay with Sasuke," Tsunade ordered sharply as she strode out of the room. "And if anyone visiting him does anything even approaching suspicious, kill them."

Hinata was a bit surprised, but quickly realized why Tsunade was being so harsh. In fact, Hinata was amazed that she'd forgotten herself: they were still at war, and the only thing worse than a normal war was a ninja war, where the eyes could not always be trusted.

* * *

Yugito's eyes snapped open as a she felt a hand press against her ribs, releasing healing chakra into her body and overtaking Sasori's poison.

"Calm yourself, shinigami," said a voice above her. "I doubt you have anything to fear from a dead man."

She looked up to find the Shodai Hokage kneeling beside her, his face a mask of concentration as he poured more nature chakra into her wound. "You're... helping me? Why? You know what I have to do, don't you?"

"Yes," he replied. "But in return for healing you, I ask that you allow me to save my village one last time. Let me attempt undo the damage that Madara has done to so many innocent lives."

Yugito sighed as the Hokage removed his hand. It had been a long time since she'd last used nature chakra, but it always left her in a better mood, for some reason. "Very well. We have an agreement, Senju Hashirama."

His eyes widened. "You know my name?"

"It is within my power to know," Yugito answered, tapping the side of her head. "Go and save your village. We'll settle up afterwards."

The Shodai Hokage nodded. "Thank you. I took the liberty of reviving your companion as well." He gestured to Kyojuu, who was sitting up and looking around confused, as if he couldn't figure out how he was awake. "Unfortunately, I do not have the ability to remove the seals placed on Gaara and Naruto. Once the supply of nature chakra I provided runs out..."

"We'll manage," Yugito said confidently. "We always do." She turned to Kyojuu, who had just gotten to his feet. "Do me a favor, Kyojuu-kun. Track down that spider, and then shut it down. I have a feeling that wherever it is, it can't be up to any good. If you can't pick up it's scent, then-"

"Track the jerk riding on it," Kyojuu finished, a feral grin spreading across his face. "No problem. What about you, though?"

"I still intend to find Naruto." Yugito reached up and gently fingered the scar ring around her neck. "I can feel him, here. He's lost in dark, and who better to lead him out of it? That's where the Nibi shines brightest."

* * *

Kurenai let out a rather unladylike squawk as she was grabbed from behind and tossed onto someone's back. She had a kunai in her free hand on a downward arc before she realized it was only Kisame, and that a kunai in the back would probably just make him laugh at her. So she put the weapon away, tightened her grip on Naruto, and attached herself to the shark man's back with a small amount of chakra.

"I take it things aren't going well?" she asked, noticing the way that both Itachi and Kisame seemed to be in a great hurry as they bounded across the rooftops of the market district. Anyone could spot them at that height, so the Akatsuki duo (trio, she reminded herself) was clearly done with hiding themselves.

"They could be better, princess," Kisame grunted. "These people take themselves way too seriously, y'know. I don't see how you could put up with them for so long, personally."

"Anything I can do to help?" Kurenai offered slowly, still trying to wrap her mind around the concept of betraying her home.

"Keep running if I drop you," Kisame answered, stopping short as Itachi did. "Hey, what the hell-"

"Go," Itachi said simply, turning back and placing a hand on his sheathed sword. "I will catch up."

Kisame could tell from his partner's tone that it was an order, not a request. He could also tell that Itachi should probably not be going into that encounter alone, but that they didn't have the luxury of teaming up, in case a similar assault awaited Kurenai near the gates. "Shit," he grumbled, just before taking off again at twice the speed he'd been running before.

"We can't leave him!" Kurenai cried in outrage. She was all too aware that Itachi was her best chance at improving her genjutsu, and she wasn't about to leave him behind to die.

"You heard the man, so shut your trap and hang on!"

"No!" Kurenai instantly released her grip on Kisame's back, pushing off with her feet and sprinting to where Itachi stood silently.

He spared her only a glance. "Kisame," he said coolly as the shark man landed behind them, "if one of you is going to stay, the other should take the boy."

Kisame glared at Itachi's back. "That's not the damn plan, and you know it! I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is the worst possible time for any of us to get creative! You know how bad they want your head, Itachi! If anything, you should be the one heading to the gates!"

"Kurenai and I are the best prepared to deal with this particular threat. We will stall them."

"You meant crush them, right?" Kisame demanded.

"I meant exactly what I said. Now, there is no more time to waste."

"On that point we agree, Uchiha Itachi." A squad of twenty cloaked ANBU landed on the rooftop in the next second, with Hyuuga Hiashi in their midst. His gaze strayed briefly to Kurenai, and from the way it paused, he definitely saw through her disguise. "I know you will not surrender to me, so I will take great pleasure in presenting your heads to the Hokage."

Itachi said nothing, but his hand twitched on the hilt of his sword.

Seven ANBU immediately attacked, a widespread storm of both shuriken and cloned shuriken launched at the Akatsuki trio. They were not at all concerned with Naruto being in the line of fire.

A spiraling ring of water began to twist around Itachi's feet, then widened to include his companions, rising up to create a watery shield that easily blocked the projectile weapons. The water wall held after that, even as a huge fireball tore through it, blanketing the area in steam while the fireball sent the ANBU and the Hyuuga clan head scattering in all directions. Only a few ANBU were surprised to see that Kisame had vanished with Naruto during the brief moment that Itachi hid them from view.

"If you mean to stand with me, Kurenai-san," Itachi said softly, "then you had better fight as if you want to live."

The unspoken message was clear, however: any less, and she would die. But for the first time in what seemed like ages now, the threat wasn't coming from Itachi.

"I don't intend to die just when things are starting to get interesting," Kurenai answered firmly. "And I don't expect you to, either." The last part came out more like an order, and they shared a quick, meaningful glance.

Then Itachi drew his sword partially and slammed it back into the sheath. A sound not unlike a thunderclap rolled over the area, and several ANBU screamed as they were suddenly engulfed in flames, their bodies reduced to ashes in mere seconds.

Hiashi had been moving well before Itachi touched his sword, and the Hyuuga clan head closed in on the Uchiha, his extended fingers promising a swift but painful death as they reached for Itachi's heart.

The only problem with that was that the air in front of Itachi shifted and split, revealing Kurenai with a kunai that she plunged into Hiashi's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Then, as Hiashi closed his eyes and roared in pain, she twisted the weapon, forcing his eyes open, where they locked onto hers.

Which was exactly what she'd been waiting for.

"Farewell, Hyuuga-sama," Kurenai whispered. "Akatsuki no Jutsu."

Hiashi blinked slowly, and then his body began to convulse uncontrollably as his entire world turned first red, then black.

**End of Chapter 33.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Akatsuki no Jutsu**

Kurenai unleashes her devastating new genjutsu on former comrades. Anko makes a surprising choice. Tobi returns to Konoha. Ino and Konkon work on clan jutsu. Kyuubi emerges. And someone else dies.

* * *

Endnotes:

Remember, this Jiraiya is one that has experienced the pain of Tsunade, the woman he loves, giving her virginity to Orochimaru, and then beating the snot out of Jiraiya when she needed some way to heal her broken heart. So the days of fighting fair and clean are long gone, in favor of doing things right and permanently the first time.

I think it's entirely possibly that Sasori and Gaara are related. Think about it: everyone with unusual hair color that lived in Konoha were related: Naruto, the Yondaime, Kushina (nobody ever connects Naruto to the Yamanaka, so I'm guessing there's a difference in shading there or something). Aside from that, elite ninja tend to keep power in their own families, so it makes sense that Sasori is related to the Yondaime Kazekage. And they DO resemble each other, at least slightly.

I know the summon toads can speak. But I also figure that they'd have a code language that only their summoners and people close to them could understand. Otherwise, they'd be practically useless at delivering messages, as anyone could intercept them and steal the information.

Jiraiya's jutsu:

**Kyuuyu no Jutsu (Oil Supply Technique):**

Jiraiya spits oil from his mouth to ignite fire attacks. I know, looks a LOT like Kyuubi, but that's only coincidence, I assure you.

Itachi's sword/jutsu:

**Youshin (Leaf Blade):**

Forged by the Uchiha Clan shortly they officially joined Konoha, this black sword bears the Leaf's insignia on its blade. It is said to awaken only in the hands of one who possesses the Will of Fire and the truth of his heritage. As implied earlier, Youshin can easily create and manipulate fire. Youshin has several abilities. Merely by drawing the sword slightly and thrusting it back into the sheath, Itachi can ignite nearby objects. Fully drawing the sword, something Itachi rarely has a need to do, fully regenerates any wounds he has suffered in battle, and replenishes his chakra temporarily.

**Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall):**

This jutsu creates a water barrier to protect the user from fire and water attacks.

Kurenai's jutsu:

**"Akatsuki no Jutsu"**

**Magen: Akatsuki no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Daybreak Technique):**

I'll wait to explain this until next chapter. Definitely a genjutsu, and definitely something you don't want to experience.


	34. The FINAL Breaking of Konoha, Part 5

Notes: Got some complaints that the good guys were in a situation that they couldn't possibly win their way out of. I suppose it depends who you consider the good guys, but anyway, things start to turn around here. Oh, and this is the last chapter titled "The Breaking of Konoha," for those who asked.

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 34: The Breaking of Konoha, Part 5**

* * *

Kyuubi was not a doctor. He was very familiar with the human body, having eaten, torn open, or transformed into more than his share in his lifetime, but he was not a doctor. Had Naruto ever actually been properly examined by a medic-nin in Konoha, they would've been simultaneously shocked, appalled, and amazed by their findings.

The Yondaime's seal had bound Kyuubi to Naruto for life, and periodically siphoned off some of the fox's chakra for Naruto's use. That covered many specifics, but left many more at Kyuubi's discretion. So by the time that Naruto had first learned what chakra was, Kyuubi had plenty of footholds in the boy's body, and had been customizing it as much as he dared without drawing Naruto's notice. At first, this was just the fox's preference, but as Naruto's sub par diet and daily beatings came into play, it was simply a matter of survival. The facts were that Naruto wouldn't have reached age six without the fox sealed inside of him, although it could also be argued that his situation wouldn't have been so desperate if Kyuubi were sealed into anyone else.

But now that Naruto and Kyuubi had something of a partnership, and Kyuubi had grudging permission to manipulate the body, he'd learned a great deal more about his living prison. Something that had always perplexed him, however, were the group of blockages to Naruto's human chakra. To Kyuubi, they were always in the way, decreasing the boy's already substantial chakra flow. But he slowly came to realize that they were present in all humans as safeguards, regulating how much chakra they released at any one time. Too little, and the human was powerless; too much, and the human could burn out.

Naruto's blockages were far stronger than any other human's, of course. They had to be, to have any hope of holding back the portion of Kyuubi's chakra that the seal allowed through. Kyuubi had never paid them too much attention, because whenever he sent enough chakra through, one or more of the blockages opened up, and any resulting damage from the force was healed with time and rest.

Now, though, these blockages were the key to restoring their power. Kyuubi knew that if enough of them were open long enough, absolutely nothing could stop the intensity of the demonic chakra that would flood Naruto's body: not the Yondaime's seal, and certainly not Kankurou's. The main problem with this idea, though, was that the backlash would leave Naruto virtually defenseless for an unknown period. Fortunately, Naruto had defenses that were not directly connected to his body, in the form of his summons. If Kyuubi directed a portion of the flood into them, they could defend him while his body recovered.

But, again, Kyuubi was no doctor. He had no idea if the blockages would ever re-seal themselves after releasing such a huge amount of demonic chakra. Naruto would die in a matter of minutes if they all stayed open permanently. On the other hand, if just one or two stayed open long enough, Naruto would be able to handle additional tails of Kyuubi's chakra, and more easily process Kyuubi's chakra overall. Assuming that Madara hadn't implanted some sort of time bomb in Naruto's head, they'd be more powerful than ever before.

As a precaution, Kyuubi created seven copies of himself, and sent each one to a different blockage. It was humiliating to watch the tiny versions of himself scamper off, but it was all that he had to work with, for the moment. And since each of those pathetic copies were carrying just under one whole tail's worth of his chakra, they were far from useless. Kyuubi himself stood guard by the final blockage at Naruto's heart, the one that would definitely kill them both if it were allowed to open. Under no circumstances was he going to allow that, and he'd devoted just over two tails worth of chakra to that cause, just in case.

At Kyuubi's mental nod, each of the copies blasted the blockages with a surge of demonic chakra. For a long moment, nothing happened. And then the blockages began to burst open, one by one, filling Naruto's body with more demonic chakra than Kyuubi had ever allowed him at one time.

Growling, Kyuubi launched himself at the final blockage as it started to open. Two huge tails of chakra burst from his rear and slammed against the blockage, holding it closed as the rest of the fox's chakra rushed and roared through the boy's body. It took all of the fox's remaining strength, but the blockage remained firmly shut.

With a final command for each of his clones to shut the blockages after a set period, Kyuubi sagged against the final blockage, digging his claws in to be sure it wouldn't open while he was recovering. "You owe me big time for this one, brat," he grunted just before falling asleep.

* * *

Although he had every right to be pleased, Kankurou couldn't help feeling disappointed. Today, he had planned to show his master, and the world, that he would one day succeed Sasori as Akatsuki's puppet master. But nothing was going the way he'd planned.

As things stood, the most impressive thing he'd done on his own in Konoha was wound the Sandaime Hokage. Had they not been interrupted, Kankurou was certain he'd have added another Kage to his collection. There was still hope for that idea, though: he'd run into Sasame on his way through the village, and while she was determined to kill the Hokage herself now, she'd promised to give him the body afterwards. Like her "father," she saw the importance in a ninja perfecting their jutsu, and like Kankurou, she was also the product of a dark legacy. But like her, Kankurou had to first prove himself worthy of all the effort that his masters had put into training him.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if Kankurou's time in the spotlight was at an end, at least as far as the invasion was concerned. Now, he'd pretty much been demoted to acts of massive destruction on Konoha, while his superiors were in the thick of the real action. A less intelligent subordinate might've been perfectly pleased with that task, but Kankurou knew busywork when it was handed to him, as he'd gotten plenty of it in Suna.

This was not to say that Kankurou didn't enjoy the destruction he was currently causing, just that he knew there were more important things he had been excluded from. And from all indications, Jorougumo was enjoying the test run even more than its summoner.

Kankurou's spider was truly a weapon of both genius and terrible beauty. Even without its armor, Jorougumo was naturally armed with brute strength, paralyzing stingers, frightening speed, and the ability to stalk its prey virtually undetected. The armor simply added more to its already lethal arsenal: flamethrowers, exploding tags, shrapnel bombs, and almost ten times more poison than Kankurou had ever needed to use at once. Of course, as the poison's main ingredient was the spider's own venom, it was completely immune.

Even better, if Jorougumo ever managed to receive so much damage that it automatically retreated back to the world of summons, the armor would remain behind as Kankurou's most massive puppet, fully functional and every bit as deadly as the spider itself.

No one in Konoha had time to reflect on that, of course. Not unlike most Leaf-nin, Jorougumo traveled by rooftop, pausing only briefly to shower the enemies that passed below with projectiles. Kankurou rode on the spider's back, observing with only mild interest.

That is, until chakra flared behind them, and Kankurou turned just in time to have a mud ball slam into his face. Jorougumo hissed as its body was pelted with mud as well, more angered than hurt.

Kankurou wiped his face, very much surprised to see Kyojuu glaring up at him from the ground, atop a dragon's head composed of earth. "Persistence is really overrated, you know. Can't you go annoy someone else?" A twitch was all it took to open one of the many compartments on Jorougumo's armor, and Kyojuu vanished in a stream of flames. When Kankurou finally cut the flamethrower, only blackened ground remained, but somehow, he knew he couldn't be that lucky.

Sure enough, pain exploded in his back as electrified claws ripped through Kankurou's flesh. He fell roughly across Jorougumo's back, letting out a strangled cry of shock as Kyojuu knelt over him.

"If you're going to hunt demon vessels, you should learn not to underestimate them so much," Kyojuu growled, flexing his claws for a second strike.

"I'll keep it in mind," Kankurou chuckled as his right arm collapsed in on itself, revealing a grenade launcher that fired directly into Kyojuu's startled face. Poison gas enveloped them, and Kyojuu tumbled from the spider's back, landing on the ground hard. Amazingly, the demon vessel just grunted and stumbled back to his feet, coughing but still very much active. At the very least, he should've still been on the ground twitching with so much poison in his system.

"Nasty stuff," Kyojuu choked out, shaking his head. Without warning, his cheeks bulged, and he vomited up what looked like water with purple dye in it.

"So poisons are useless against you," Kankurou muttered. "Should've brought my other arm. But Jorougumo is more than enough to deal with you."

"Actually," Kyojuu replied with a grin, "I'm more of a one-on-one type of guy. So either you send your friend away, or I will." He knelt down and slammed his palm into the ground with a cry of, "Doton: Retsudotensho (Earth Release: Split Earth Turn Around Palm)!"

Kankurou laughed as the ground began to rumble slightly. Not only was Jurougumo standing on the side of a building, but the jutsu didn't seem to have nearly enough power to do any real damage. "Are you seriously going to use a C-rank jutsu against a summon? And you're not even doing it right!" He jumped off the spider's back, sticking to the side of the building with chakra.

Kyojuu just grinned up at him. "Funny thing about us demon vessels. We'd all be geniuses if people didn't work so hard to sabotage us growing up. So even if we learn things wrong, our way tends to turn out more powerful. For example, Naruto can't make a normal clone to save his life, Yugito can't pull off a genjutsu below B-rank, and me? I never really got my version of Retsudotensho below S-rank. Damnedest thing, really."

Kankurou swallowed his laugh hard as an enormous hand of tightly compacted rock and earth tore out of the ground and grabbed Jorougumo. Once the spider was trapped in the hand's firm grip, the rocks began to grind against the summon with incredible speed and pressure. Jorougumo was only able to stand the pain for a moment before vanishing, leaving his armor behind... and even that was soon useless as it was crushed and dragged deep into the ground.

"I'm losing my touch," Kyojuu grunted, flexing his fingers. "I was aiming for the whole building."

That was all that Kankurou needed to hear. He'd already lost the use of two puppets, and one of those for good. The plan had never accounted for Yugito and Kyojuu resisting his seal, and he certainly hadn't been prepared to fight any demon vessels other than Naruto and Gaara. It was safe to say that he was in way over his head, but only for the moment. Frowning, he fed some of his chakra into an emergency seal on his forearm. It acted as a signal flare, one of many that linked back to Kagero of the Fuma Five. Once she recognized the request for transport, a silvery light enshrouded Kankurou's body, and he disappeared right before Kyojuu's eyes.

* * *

Kisame had the great misfortune to be carrying Naruto under his arm when, as he would later report to his boss, the chakra bomb went off. Had he been anything less than all demon, he would've been killed instantly. As it was, Kyuubi's demonic chakra blasted open his unprotected side, burning what flesh wasn't instantly obliterated, and sending the fox's toxic chakra racing through Kisame's body.

To the shark man's credit, he just barely remained standing, and had the sense to get Naruto away from him by hurling the boy at a tree. Kisame was not surprised when Naruto passed through the tree unharmed, the toxic aura around his body simply eating away at the bark before he could impact with it.

And still Kyuubi's chakra continued to pour from the boy's body as he hit the ground, increasing the size and potency of the aura by the second. Even the earth beneath him began to gradually sizzle and break apart.

Hurt as he was, Kisame still had his mission in mind. He started to reach for Samehada, but stopped himself. One look told him that trying to absorb that much of that kind of chakra would not only cost him his sword, but possibly the rest of his body. On the other hand, Samehada was still good for something. Kisame whipped out his sword and held it close to his wounded side, hissing in pain as Samehada forcefully extracted and suppressed the foreign chakra invading his body. It was a close thing, but Kisame was able to drain off all of the fox's chakra from his system, even if it left Samehada blackened and tinted dark violet around the edges.

"You're starting to be way more trouble than you're worth, kid," Kisame sighed, closing his eyes and activating the art of astral projection that all members of Akatsuki had to learn. "Sasori, something went wrong with the seal. The damn Kyuubi kid is leaking poisonous chakra like it's going out of style, and even I can't touch him anymore."

He got the distinct impression that Sasori was under some heavy strain when the puppet master replied. "Then your part of the mission is a failure. Orochimaru is dead."

Kisame cursed softly under his breath. Orochimaru, as they all knew, was one of the few people who might have any luck at sealing away Kyuubi's chakra for any length of time. The number went down even more if the sealer had to do it while enduring the fox's toxins. "We can't just leave him here! Konoha's likely to kill him on sight if they think the fox is escaping!"

"You mean it isn't?" Sasori asked, sounding surprised.

"No, it's probably some kind of last defense. I'd bet anything releasing that much power knocked out the fox, but he might be the only one that can stop it, even if he's in no shape to."

"There is another option, but it's not in our best interest. We would lose possession of the boy, even if it was only temporary."

"If it'll keep him alive until we can get our hands on him again, then we have to-"

"Give the boy to Jiraiya."

Kisame froze, certain he'd heard wrong. "What?!"

"He is a seal master, and the only other member of the Sannin that we know for sure has an interest in keeping the boy alive. He will make sure that the boy survives this. But you must ensure he is placed in only Jiraiya's care. Anyone else from Konoha would be a risk."

"Well, as much as that plan sucks, I can't move the kid, so how go I get him to the old fart?"

"I imagine you won't have to. I can feel his chakra from here, and Jiraiya should be much closer to you, if you just crossed paths with him."

Sure enough, Jiraiya landed several feet from Kisame a few seconds later.

"The kid's all yours," Kisame said, after confirming that it was indeed Jiraiya and not an imposter.

"You're just leaving empty-handed, after all that trouble to get him?" Jiraiya asked, staring at him with suspicion.

Kisame shrugged. "Hey, shit happens. What are you gonna do?" He swung his sword up so that it thumped lightly against his shoulder. "Good luck sealing him up again. You fail, and I'll make sure the boss knows it was you who ruined his plan." With that, he turned to leave... except that he was heading back into the village, not away from it.

"You lost?" Jiraiya couldn't help asking.

"Going back for my partner," Kisame answered. "Maybe I'm in no shape to handle the kid as he is, but the day a scratch like this keeps me from busting heads is the day I lay down my sword for good."

Despite the fact that he knew Kisame might cost Konoha several good soldiers, Jiraiya made no move to stop him. Naruto's survival was his greatest priority at the moment, and anyway, he had to respect Kisame's loyalty to his own cause. With any luck, though, Kisame and Itachi both would lose their lives, and it would be a while before Akatsuki was able to mount another attack.

But after taking a long look at Naruto, Jiraiya had to admit that today didn't feel very lucky at all, for anyone.

* * *

ANBU were thought to be some of the most courageous ninja alive, or at least the ones who feared dying in the line of duty the least. Ironically, they were some of the most likely to die on a mission, but the fear of that was virtually unheard of among their ranks. And yet ANBU was not without a great deal of common sense.

So when Kurenai dropped Hyuuga Hiashi with a single jutsu, she became their priority.

The Hyuuga clan head was not dead, but one could not be sure of that at a glance, given the blood streaming from his ears. Attacking him alone had declared Kurenai a missing-nin, but leaving him seemingly dead was a death sentence itself.

Kurenai stood her ground as the ANBU advanced on her. She was almost tempted to smile, because she knew that one of the first things rookie ANBU were taught was to never ignore Uchiha Itachi in any battle.

Sure enough, there was an unearthly shriek behind her, and each of the ANBU went up in flames. Curiously, several of them doused themselves with Suiton jutsu, but the flames simply kept burning, gradually consuming them all.

Kurenai turned around, only to gasp in shock as Itachi nearly collapsed in her arms. His sword was halfway out of its sheath, and his hand was covering his right eye, but blood was leaking through his fingers at a fantastic rate.

"I knew I would not regret sparing your life," he panted, attempting to steady himself. "Now, we must escape, before-"

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!!!"

With speed she didn't know she possessed, Kurenai leaped in front of Itachi, crossing her arms in front of her face as Guy's foot slammed into her, driving both her and Itachi back several feet. It was only Itachi's arm around her waist that kept Kurenai upright, but it did neither of them much good when Guy quickly appeared behind them and hit Itachi with a leg sweep, sending the Akatsuki duo to the ground with their legs tangled.

Kurenai knew there wasn't much hope of her matching her former comrade's speed, but she'd already come too far to just give up. Guy wasn't alone, however, as she found out when a large monkey landed in front of her. For a moment, she thought Son Gohan had come to help her out.

"Found your woman, Asu-kun," the monkey said, frowning and scratching his head. "Oh, wait. She's got Gohan's mark. You didn't tell me that part."

"Does it really matter, Goku nii-san?" Asuma said as he walked up beside the monkey, his mouth set in a firm frown.

"Yeah, it does," Goku replied. "I can't help you any further if she's with Gohan. After what Enma did to us, the Son family always sticks together, no questions asked. I'll help you track her whenever you want, but that's it. In fact, I'd better check in with Gohan right now so there's no bad blood between us. Sorry." Goku vanished in a burst of smoke.

Asuma grunted, chuckling humorlessly as his gaze shifted to Kurenai. "So I guess this isn't exactly a rescue mission anymore."

Kurenai just stared at him, her face surprisingly blank.

"Normally, I'd just back off and trust that Gohan knew what he was doing. But I know the only way you could get in touch with him is through the scroll I told you about, and you'd only use that if you thought I was in real danger. So if you're doing this for my sake, then-"

"I'm doing this," Kurenai interrupted, "so I can overcome the limits of this village."

"Now you sound like him," Asuma muttered, glaring at Itachi. "Which is just fine, since I can't really hurt you one way or another. I'll just take it out on him, and I assume if you'd go so far to protect him, you won't run without him."

"I won't just sit back and let you attack him, Asuma," Kurenai warned.

"I figured as much. That's why I asked Guy to accompany me."

"Abandon this unyouthful path, comrade!" Guy said loudly, flashing his teeth at her.

Kurenai said nothing as her mind raced. Itachi was in no condition to fight, if he couldn't avoid Guy's attacks without help. Likewise, she didn't want to fight Asuma if she could help it, but she couldn't just let him hurt Itachi, either. And so long as Guy was around, escaping was pretty much impossible on foot. Even on her best day, she would've struggled against Asuma's combat expertise alone. There was no way she could take them both down, even with a weakened Itachi helping out.

"So you guys found her that quick? Maybe I need to get me one of those monkeys."

Kurenai's eyes widened in shock as Anko appeared just behind Asuma, limping noticeably with her midsection heavily taped, though the tape was stained dark red. Her skin was so pale that she could've easily passed for her former sensei in the right light.

Asuma spared her a glance. "You should be resting, Anko. Kakashi would have a nervous breakdown if he knew you were out here."

"He'd do more than that if he knew why I was here," Anko replied confidently. "But I won't stay long. I've just got a question for Kurenai, that's all." With that, she bit her thumb and knelt down, smearing the blood on the ground. At once, two enormous violet snakes with black markings burst from the dirt, hissing menacingly as they curled around Anko's arms and glared at Kurenai. "So tell me, Kurenai. Am I the best friend you ever had or what?"

It only took a few seconds for Kurenai to realize what her friend meant. "Anko, you... why?" she whispered.

"Because I know you, and if you're siding with Akatsuki, you have a reason that you believe in with your whole heart. Wrong or right. I won't ask what it is, but you owe me big time in the next life. So, any last words?"

"Yes," Kurenai sighed. "Thank you."

Anko nodded, and then the snakes attacked... the two Leaf jounin behind her.

Despite being caught off guard, Guy completely avoided the first snake's strike, being the faster of the two jounin. Asuma was slightly less lucky, but not without his own defenses. The second snake's fangs grazed his arm, but he was able to drive one of his trench knives into its skull from behind. The snake thrashed wildly as it died, its tail moving with blinding speed and crashing heavily into the side of Asuma's head.

Guy kept dancing out of his snake's reach, and decided to cut it off at the source. But as he turned to attack Anko, she smiled weakly, and collapsed facedown in the dirt. He paused, expecting the snakes to vanish with their summoner unconscious, but was sadly mistaken as the snake's fangs sank fully into his leg. However, that gave Guy a stationary target, and he quickly stomped on the snake's head with his free leg, ending its life instantly.

The other snake vanished the moment Guy turned to make sure it was dead, and by then, he knew, Kurenai and Itachi were long gone. His first priority was to make sure his comrades, among whom he still included Anko, lived. As Asuma was just stunned, he knelt down to check Anko's pulse.

The only problem was, there wasn't one.

* * *

At that very moment, Gaara was pounding away at Sasori's large puppet with his rock-encased fists. Shukaku was, surprisingly enough, watching his back with their tanuki tail, batting away or absorbing Sasori's wide variety of projectile weapons, and sometimes firing them right back. This was, over time, very effective. Between himself and the single puppet he was using, Sasori only had so much chakra and so many projectile weapons, which eventually limited him to just two main attacks: the poison-coated cord that extended from his belly, and Hiruko's spiked tail. These weapons were not exactly doing much damage to Gaara, but out of Sasori's entire arsenal, they were the only two that forced Gaara to use a considerable amount of effort and sand to block.

Sasori was more than a little surprised that his primary weapon, untold amounts of a customized poison that practically ran throughout each of his bodies at this point, was having no clear effect. If Gaara had been poisoned, he was either too focused or too angry to feel it, unless Shukaku had some sort of defense against poison as well. But such a thing was almost impossible, because even if none of Sasori's hits had delivered the poison, then at least trace amounts should have survived when Gaara turned Sasori's puppets into sand for his own defenses.

Without warning, Gaara blinked, and then let out an inhuman roar of agony and fury, grabbing his head and thrashing about wildly, to the point where even his own tail began to slap at him to bring him back to his senses.

Sasori wasted no time, immediately directing all of his remaining poison projectiles at Gaara in a lethal hail. If this failed, Sasori knew he would have no choice but to either bring out his entire puppet army, or his favorite puppet, which he had been saving for when Gaara was at his limits.

The poison never reached Gaara, as an enormous snake composed of rock and sand burst from the ground, swallowing the projectiles and sending them back at Sasori, along with a curious gray smoke that Sasori knew at a glance was poison itself. Another snake emerged in the next few seconds, hovering protectively around Gaara as he slowly sank to the ground, whimpering in obvious pain.

Sasori made a final desperate charge with Hiruko leading the way, summoning the Sandaime Kazekage to his side as he ran towards Gaara. As he'd predicted, the snakes attacked. The first bit clean through Hiruko, destroying the puppet with ease. The Sandaime Kazekage met the second snake head-on, driving a giant spear of sand into its head, which exploded a few seconds after contact. This left Sasori a clear path to Gaara, who was still too caught up in his own pain to notice. It would only take a light touch, Sasori thought grimly as he closed in, and then Shukaku would belong to Akatsuki.

That was when one of Gaara's hands fell away, revealing the half-transformed face of Shukaku. "Not today, insect," it whispered, letting out a high-pitched giggle of madness.

Sasori gasped as a third snake erupted from the ground beneath his feet, its fangs gleaming with a black fluid that could only be venom, just before they sank into his body, exactly where his heart had been just a second before.

Now his heart was safely inside the Sandaime Kazekage, but it was impossible to tell whether Gaara was aware of that, or anything else. Shukaku was in control for now, and from all appearances, he was nowhere near his limits, while Sasori was. It was difficult to abandon his original body and the many memories attached to it, but in the end, it was just another puppet, and therefore expendable, so long as his heart survived.

The snake seemed to take great pleasure in chewing Sasori's old body, and Shukaku's laughter only grew, both in volume and madness, as he looked on.

"You win this day," Sasori murmured through the Kazekage's mouth as he retreated into a swirling cloud of dark brown sand, "but we will meet again."

The laughter trailed off after a few seconds, replaced by heart-wrenching sobs as Shukaku retreated as well, leaving a broken Gaara with the realization that, once again, he had failed to protect someone he loved. "Kaa-san," he whispered, tears streaming from his eyes as he collapsed to the ground, "forgive me for failing you again..."

A moment later, Hanabi's hand came to rest gently on top of his head. "She does, Gaara," the girl whispered, mimicking the motions of the ghostly form of Anko next to her. "She does."

* * *

Konoha - Hospital - August

Haku had seen many impressive things in his life, most of them shortly after he'd begun training under Zabuza. Yet he was still tempted to place Yamanaka Ino using Nara Clan jutsu at the top of list, for the sheer amusement value alone.

Somehow (and he was still unclear on the how of it), Konkon had taught Ino to manipulate shadows. What Konkon HADN'T taught her, obviously, was how to keep a tight reign on her own shadow, which turned out to be even more rebellious than Konkon herself. Half of the time it was making mocking motions behind Ino's back, and the rest of the time it was literally forcing Ino to drag it around (apparently living shadows could be quite heavy, when they wanted to be).

It was a wonder that Ino had managed to drag herself all the way up to the sixth floor of the hospital in that state, and with Konkon in fox form perched on top of her head the whole time. Ino had only had enough strength left to collapse into Haku's arms, after she'd made a decent effort at throwing Konkon headfirst into the wall. Naturally, the fox just bounced off neatly and landed on Haku's shoulder. It was a simple matter for Haku to carry Ino to an empty hospital bed, and he even managed to get her a private room to rest in, although it didn't stay that way for long.

Ino and her shadow must have made quite a sight, because less than ten minutes later, Nara Yoshino walked in, apparently summoned by word of mouth alone. She took one look at the shadow, which was twisting the sleeping Ino's hair into odd shapes, and snapped.

"Shikamaru, you stop that right now!"

The shadow sprang away from Ino as if struck (which was impressive, since it was HER shadow) and tried to hide in a corner.

Haku could only gape at her. "You mean... that's Shikamaru?"

"No, only his shadow, and possibly a small portion of his soul," Yoshino corrected. "I'm guessing, since there hasn't been a case like this in a long time, and I'm not really an expert myself. Apparently Nara shadows can attach themselves to a living person, if there's a strong enough connection. But shadows are naturally mischievous beings, so they're not always the best reflection of a person's feelings. Unless, of course, Shikamaru's way of letting Ino know he cared was teasing her and generally being a nuisance."

Haku clamped his mouth shut, because that sounded somewhat like Shikamaru to him. Although Shikamaru had always managed to annoy Ino more through inaction than anything else. But it didn't seem right to admit as much to his mother.

On the other hand, because Yoshino was Shikamaru's mother, she knew him better than most, and also knew exactly what Haku had to be thinking at the moment.

"He and Chouji... died well," Haku murmured after a moment. "Bravely. Defending Ino and their friends."

Yoshino stared at him. "My Shikamaru did that?" She seemed more surprised than distraught.

He nodded. "The opponent we faced... there was no chance of any one of us defeating him alone. We even had trouble wounding him at all. But your son and Chouji managed it."

"Well, he was never stupid, or even a coward. Just lazy as the day is long." She shook her head, brushing away a few tears.

Ino's shadow slowly walked over, patting Yoshino's arm tentatively.

Haku felt like he was intruding, but he really didn't want to let Ino out of his sight, either. He'd been away from her too long already, and there was still a war going on outside.

Suddenly, Konkon tensed on his shoulder. "Big chakra, coming this way fast! Everybody away from the wall!"

Haku moved to grab Ino, but was startled to see that her shadow had already done it, and was in the process of dragging her across the room. He must have hesitated too long, because Yoshino grabbed his arm and yanked him over to the far wall just as the opposite wall cracked and caved in, admitting an enormous ball of dark violet chakra. Just behind it was Jiraiya, riding a white weasel the size of a horse.

"That's her!" the giant weasel bellowed. "The girl that smells of fox, and her pet healer!"

Haku blinked, torn between being honored and insulted. Honored that word of his talent in the healing arts had reached even the weasels, but insulted that they saw him as a pet anything.

Jiraiya didn't seem to notice, thankfully. "Kid, you better be as good as I've heard, or we're all screwed."

"This sounds like something that you should trust to-"

"I don't have time to track down Tsunade or Shizune right now. Look on the bright side: you pull this off, you'll be the third best healer I know. Get ready."

There was no more time to make excuses, as Jiraiya turned to the ball of dark chakra, formed twin Rasengan in his hands, and drove them into the ball.

Instead of exploding outward, the ball collapsed on itself, spreading across the room in the form of violet fog. The giant weasel quickly collected the fog by rapidly circling in the air near the ceiling, expelling the poison from the room in a dark funnel through the hole in the wall. Where the ball had once been, there was only an unconscious Naruto.

Yoshino's eyes widened. "Isn't that-"

"You do anything to harm him, and I'll kill you myself," Jiraiya said without even looking at her.

"I wouldn't!" Yoshino replied defensively. "It's just, he looks so... helpless."

"He always was. But so few from this village were ever willing to admit it."

Haku leaned closer to examine Naruto and frowned. "I'm not sure what you expect me to do, Jiraiya-sama. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him."

"What? There has to be something wrong with him!" Jiraiya snapped. "The kid was letting out enough toxic chakra to drive off an S-class ninja! Even I just barely managed to transport him here without losing an arm in the process! If it wasn't for the kid's weasels, I wouldn't have done it at all!"

"Well, now that poison is gone, I can't find anything wrong with him. I don't know what happened to him out there, but I think he's in perfect condition. There isn't a scratch on him." Haku could tell from the expression on Jiraiya's face that the old man knew exactly why that was.

In that moment, Naruto's chakra flared, and his eyes snapped open.

Jiraiya's lips thinned, less because Naruto was awake so soon, and more because Naruto's chakra felt less like a human's, and more like a human's blended almost perfectly with Kyuubi's.

Naruto glanced around the room, until his gaze fell on Ino, still clutched protectively by her shadow. Everyone in the room held their breath as Naruto's blue eyes instantly darkened to red. "Healer," he said slowly, sounding quite unlike Naruto, "what happened to her?"

"She's just tired," Haku replied, knowing full well that calling him Naruto would be a mistake.

"Kyuubi," Jiraiya said, drawing the boy's attention. "What have you done with Naruto?"

"You know as well as I do that escape is impossible for me, old man," Kyuubi replied, glaring at Jiraiya. "Without my intervention, the boy would be in the clutches of Akatsuki. He is as safe as he could ever be with me."

"And you still haven't answered my question," Jiraiya snapped.

One of Naruto's eyes faded back to blue. "It's okay," he said in his own voice. "Let Kyuubi do what he needs to."

"You can't trust the fox, kid."

Naruto smirked. "Put yourself in my place. Would you trust the evil demon sealed inside you that needs you alive to survive, or the humans who put him there and treated you like crap for saving their worthless lives? I'd rather take my chances with the devil that made me strong, instead of the ones who kept me weak and afraid."

"That's the fox talking, Naruto."

"I know you'd love to think that, but we've got bigger problems, like the war going on outside. And I think there's only two people in this room qualified to end a war."

Jiraiya scowled at him. "You asking me to trust you with the fox running wild?"

"Would you have taught me the Rasengan if you couldn't? We're wasting time. Konoha's people are dying, and my friends are in trouble. So neither of us can afford to just sit here. Does that sound like the fox talking?"

"Fine. But you lose control again, and I'll cut you off from the fox's chakra for good."

It sounded like a major threat, but they both knew, on some level, that it wasn't an option anymore. Jiraiya would need Kyuubi's help, and there was probably no longer a safe way to seal off Kyuubi's chakra within Naruto's body. Kyuubi alone knew that had been Madara's intention all along, and however reluctantly, he was grateful.

Kyuubi's gaze fell on Konkon next. "Protect the girl while I'm gone, kit. Use my image if you must."

The little fox nodded at once. "You got it, Boss."

That made Jiraiya pause, but Kyuubi had already stepped to the large hole in the wall, and was loudly sniffing the air before him. "What are you looking for?"

"The nearest demon," Kyuubi answered, closing his eyes. "My allies are my priority. Save the foolish mortals if you want, but stay out of my way."

"What happened to ending the war?"

"Securing the demons first IS the quickest way to end the war. You don't really think they kept Shukaku simply out of fear, do you? He is nothing but a weapon to them, and I must admit that they had the right idea. Only Shukaku's greed makes him an unreliable weapon, but he will submit to any power greater than his own." Kyuubi's eyes snapped open. "Ah. Found him. Move it, old man."

"Hold it!" a voice cried.

Kyuubi turned slightly to see Ino struggling to stand, finally needing Haku's arm to do so.

"You're not going anywhere without me!" Ino snapped. "I won't let you leave me behind again!"

Jiraiya closed his eyes briefly, fully expecting the girl to be slaughtered.

"Very well," Kyuubi said, "but I cannot allow my attention to be divided. You must have adequate protection."

Ino gasped as she felt a sharp tug on her chakra, and then Konkon went up in smoke, revealing a crimson-furred, six-tailed vixen the size of a large bear.

"Now THIS is a real body," Konkon purred approvingly. Two of her tails wrapped around Ino and Haku, depositing the startled pair on her back. "Better hang on tight."

"H-How did he do that?" Ino whispered. "That was MY chakra he used!"

"Uh, hello? You signed the fox contract, which makes you a fox summoner, and Kyuubi is the Boss Fox."

"But he shouldn't have access to my chakra!" Ino insisted. "That's not normal!"

Konkon rolled her eyes. "Neither is Kyuubi. Maybe it was in the fine print?"

* * *

Despite being stuck in the middle of an identity crisis, the one thing Shizune was sure was that she'd trained for most of her life to be a healer. So when Iruka had burst into the lab with an unconscious Tayuya in his arms and a panicked expression on his face, she hadn't thought twice about helping them. Kabuto had been decidedly less eager, but hadn't stood in her way, as she wasn't doing anything else. Kimimaro was stable, and now it was up to his body to heal on its own.

It bothered Shizune, not only that Kabuto might stop her from helping his supposed allies, but that she would actually obey if that had been the case. The Kabuto that had saved her life so long ago would have helped anyone. Now she was starting to wonder if he was just one of the many masks that the true Kabuto wore. The problem was that even if they were just masks, she still loved one and considered it her brother.

Focusing on healing Tayuya was a welcome distraction, although the genjutsu user was mostly out of danger by the time she ended up on Shizune's operating table. Iruka explained that he'd forced her to accept some of his chakra through her seal, which made a twisted kind of sense. Shizune knew that Orochimaru's seals forcibly extracted chakra, but she had never considered that they might also absorb foreign chakra through direct contact as well. There was, of course, the possibility that this only worked because of Iruka and Tayuya's unique connection, but it was something to keep in mind for future reference.

Because that was another thing that Shizune was slowly becoming certain of: her mind wouldn't allow her to disobey Kabuto. Even thinking of doing so seemed to give her a headache, as did thoughts of Tsunade and Konoha, which had to be Kabuto's doing. But even under those limitations, Shizune was considering all of her options. There was still a slim chance that she could save Kabuto, or at least convince him to release her. He clearly wasn't above manipulating her, but she was also certain that part of him still cared for her. She would just have to appeal to that side of him, until he either agreed with her, or dropped his guard enough for her to overwhelm him. It wouldn't be easy, but Shizune had learned patience through years of dealing with Tsunade. She only needed to wait for the perfect opportunity to come along.

* * *

Hyuuga Rei rarely ever panicked. With Hanabi as her charge, she was of course prone to frustration, and sometimes worry, but rarely panic.

Today, however, she was definitely panicked.

It had not been a mistake to entrust Hanabi's safety to Gaara. She'd seen them together, and Gaara would die before he let someone hurt Hanabi. And she knew from the various reports that had crossed her desk that no one had even come close to killing Gaara yet.

The mistake had been in allowing them out of her sight. She had parted ways with them upon spotting some of her fellow Branch House members slowly losing ground against a large group of Sound-nin. Afterwards, though, several of her kinsmen asked after Hanabi, and Rei had muttered some excuse before darting off. She'd later tracked down Hinata at the stadium, and then helped her admit Sasuke to the hospital, but still had no idea where Hanabi currently was. Hinata had convinced Rei to stay put, not because she thought Hanabi might get hurt, but because it was likely that one or more demon vessels would need to be healed, and just as likely that someone would try to refuse them treatment. And if Gaara did show up there, Hanabi would likely be with him still.

Although Rei had faith in Gaara, she also had eyes, and she knew that there was far too much going on around them for Gaara to be focused on Hanabi every single second. And if Hanabi died, or was hurt to the point where the clan considered her useless, it would be simpler and ultimately less painful if Rei just slit her own throat. The Hyuuga council was little more than human vultures when it came to punishment, and they would slowly strip away everything she had until there was nothing left.

But Rei briefly forgot her own problems when, in a burst of black flames, Kakashi and Usako dropped roughly to the floor in front of her. Blood immediately began leaking from Usako's splintered mask, but Kakashi managed to stay upright, barely.

Rei bent down to check Usako's pulse, but Kakashi stopped her. "She's alive. Bleeding from the face, and shards of her mask are probably embedded, but she's unconscious."

"And you?" Rei asked.

Kakashi took a deep breath and rose to his feet, and Rei noticed his eyes for the first time. She swallowed a gasp as his new Mangekyou Sharingan considered her for an instant. "I'm going to find my wife."

"There is no need, my eternal rival!" cried a loud voice behind him, and a second later, Guy limped over to them, carrying the bodies of Anko and Asuma over each shoulder. He froze upon seeing the state of Kakashi's Sharingan. "I see there is no need to inform you of the situation, then," he said quietly.

Kakashi swallowed hard, not expecting to see Anko's body so soon. "Give me a few minutes to say goodbye?" he asked, reaching for her with trembling hands.

Guy handed over Anko without protest, then bent down to carefully replace her on his shoulder with Usako. "I will see that these two receive treatment." He quickly moved on, throwing one last, sorrowful glance over his shoulder as he went.

Rei hesitated, watching uncomfortably as Kakashi merely stood there, holding Anko in his arms with obvious care and total devotion. She felt like she should say something, having lost her own family, but no words came.

"It's strange," Kakashi said suddenly, staring at Anko's face. "This eye is probably my most valuable possession, but I'd pluck it out of my head right now, just to tell her I love her one last time, and have her hear me. And you know what the worst part is?"

"What?" Rei asked, her voice hollow.

"I think I finally understand Orochimaru's obsession with immortality. Death is... so final. There's life, and then... nothing. Why would anyone want that? It's amazing that he's the only one fixated on living forever." He closed his eyes and buried his face in Anko's hair.

Rei had no idea how to respond to that. She had never spoken to Kakashi before, so she had no right to judge him. But Kakashi was only growing creepier by the second, so she quickly excused herself and walked away. Like Guy, she glanced back along the way, only this time, Kakashi and Anko were gone, leaving another ring of black fire in their wake.

* * *

"Have I mentioned how confident I am in this wonderful plan of yours?" Kurenai spat as she practically dragged Itachi over the rooftops of Konoha. That they hadn't been spotted and stopped again was only due to the combined efforts of Kurenai's genjutsu, laced with what little chakra that Itachi could spare.

"I don't think I care for your tone, Kurenai-san," Itachi replied weakly.

Kurenai didn't know whether to glare at him or panic further. If Itachi even sounded weak, this couldn't possibly end well. Sooner or later, someone extremely skilled at genjutsu would see through the illusion, and while that would normally be a list that Kurenai was at the top of, she reminded herself that Leaf-nin weren't the only threat to be wary of.

A fact that she soon regretted on coming face to face with Tsunade.

"I do not have time for this," Tsunade growled as she rushed forward.

Kurenai froze, less because she was afraid and more because her priority was to protect Itachi, though she could see no real way to do that with Tsunade of the Sannin charging her with a fist cocked to knock her head clean from her shoulders. Tsunade had already seen through her genjutsu, so that was mostly useless, and in the strength department, Tsunade was an even worse opponent for Kurenai than Guy had been. Suddenly, Kurenai actually regretted not sticking with Kisame. He had been in far better condition than Itachi, and would've at least been able to stall Tsunade while Kurenai escaped.

Tsunade was just starting to drive her fist forward when it collided with a quickly expanding mass of black fire.

Thinking Itachi had recovered somewhat, Kurenai looked down to see that he looked just as startled.

Tsunade hissed in pain and jumped back as the flames continued to grow. The black fire began to take on a humanoid shape, and Kurenai was doubly shocked when the still-burning man fell into an advanced Gentle Fist stance.

"Are you alright, Itachi-san?" the man asked quietly, keeping his eyes on Tsunade.

"Tobi," Itachi whispered, his voice soft with disbelief. "Why are you here?"

"I am done watching my kinsmen die. I won't let it happen again." Tobi turned his head slightly, and Kurenai could just make out a single Sharingan through the flames before Tsunade charged again.

Tobi met her head on, blocking her first punch with his forearm, but unable to stop the second one, which plowed into his ribs hard enough that Kurenai could easily hear them snapping like dry twigs. The flames cloaking Tobi's body instantly died out, revealing his Akatsuki robe and masked head.

Tsunade grunted in slight surprise, then aimed her next punch at Tobi's head. She had been a little shocked that the last punch hadn't sent him flying, but if he was with Akatsuki, and an Uchiha, that made more sense. Based on his earlier speed, she figured he wouldn't be ready for her next attack.

She figured wrong.

Tsunade's fist plunged straight through Tobi's head, with no resistance at all.

This stunned her, until the Tobi she'd just punched through shimmered and faded from sight. Eyes widening, Tsunade tried to spin around to block the incoming attack. While she did block Tobi's punch with her left forearm, and it was far less powerful than her own, it left her arm with an odd tingling sensation that it only took an instant for her to recognize. But by then, her movement had already slowed, and Tobi dug his fingers into her arm just below the shoulder, causing the entire limb to go numb.

Tsunade's eyes locked onto his Sharingan, and she was shocked to see the sorrow there.

"Forgive me, Tsunade-sama," he whispered, just before driving his elbow hard into her shoulder.

Tsunade screamed as she felt her arm break, more out of stunned realization than pain. She hadn't noticed until it was too late, but every single time she'd touched Tobi, the contact had closed off some chakra channels in her hands and arms. Finally, he'd shut off the ones near her shoulder just to make sure she couldn't heal the broken arm without considerable difficulty. It was as if he'd combined the best aspects of Gentle Fist and Strong Fist into one devastating taijutsu style. The man was truly a genius. But even more disturbing was that his voice was oddly familiar.

"Obito-kun?" she whispered in disbelief. "Uchiha Obito?"

"He's dead," Tobi said flatly. "Maybe he wouldn't be, if he'd attended your class instead of me. But he is dead, now. Please stand down, so that the same doesn't happen to you, Tsunade-sama. I will protect Itachi with my life, and if I must kill my heart to kill you, I will do it."

Tsunade stumbled away from him, processing everything she'd heard. She was in no shape to continue this fight, not if Tobi had actually been holding back so far.

"Tsunade-sama!" a voice below them shouted, and then three ANBU appeared in front of her, swords drawn and ready to attack.

Tsunade almost ordered them to forget about her and attack, but then she caught Tobi's eye. "Let them go."

One the ANBU turned to face her. "What?! Tsunade-sama, reinforcements are on the way, so there is no reason to-!"

"I said let them go!" Tsunade snapped. "You don't know what you're dealing with here!"

"I must respectfully disagree, Tsunade-sama. We have orders to apprehend Kurenai at all costs."

"From who?!"

The ANBU didn't answer, which told Tsunade all that she needed to know. "Look, don't throw away your lives for that man-"

"Don't let them get away!" the ANBU shouted, just as six more ANBU leaped onto the roof, closing off any possible escape route for the Akatsuki trio.

Tobi stepped closer to Kurenai and Itachi, lowering his voice. "Get down, and once I've dealt with them, grab onto me and hold on tightly. Hatsumi's seal will expire shortly after that."

Kurenai frowned as she saw Tsunade turn and flee. Either the Slug Sannin had suddenly become a coward, or she knew something about Tobi that the ANBU didn't. Tobi soon provided evidence that pointed to the latter.

"You are all within the field of my divination. You, who have dared to glance upon Heaven's holy fire, have been found unworthy, and so you must die by it."

A few of the ANBU snorted at the poetic language, but the laughter died as Tobi shouted, "Uchiha Hijutsu: Mattaki Kaiten (Uchiha Secret Technique: Complete Heavenly Spin)!"

Kurenai felt incredible heat roll over her body, the rooftop sizzling and cracking beneath her as an expanding spiral of black fire flew from Tobi's rapidly spinning body. She saw one ANBU get hit by the spiral, and he didn't so much get consumed by the fire as he was sucked into it, but the results were the same. Within seconds, only Tobi, Kurenai, and Itachi remained on the blistered rooftop.

Tobi came to an abrupt stop, then bent over and made a loud, wet-sounding noise behind his mask that Kurenai had no desire to investigate. "Dizzy," he murmured, dropping to his knees. Kurenai and Itachi both grabbed one of his arms mere seconds before all three vanished in another ring of black fire.

* * *

"Don't give up, Saru-jiji. It isn't your time yet, and I would know."

The Sandaime Hokage slowly opened his eyes, more than a little surprised to see Yugito standing before him. Somehow, the Shodai's protective tree barrier had recognized her as an ally, and allowed her to reach through enough to close his wounds. But he was quickly reminded that Yugito's power was a far sight from healing: the pain from the cuts remained, and the lost blood had not been replenished.

"You shouldn't be here, child," he sighed, feeling his age. "Your power is needed elsewhere."

Yugito stared at him, and something in her eyes actually made him shiver. "Saru-jiji," she said softly, "you do understand why I'm here, right? You know what called me back to you?"

He blinked slowly, suppressing the small bit of fear that began to rise in him. "You said... it wasn't my time."

"No, I said, 'It isn't your time yet.' So..." She paused, biting her lip. "You need to be careful, Saru-jiji. Depending on how you do die, I might not be able to help you."

"You mean to bring me back." He smiled sadly. "Has it ever occurred to you, child, that Hokages aren't meant to be resurrected? I'm afraid it only makes a mess of things in most cases, and cheapens their noble sacrifices. Some people are better off dead, and I may be on that list. If that is case, then I must ask that you let me go when the time comes. I have lived a long, long life, and as much as I have enjoyed it, I do not think I wasn't meant to repeat it, nor do I care to. This invasion is a direct result of one of my many mistakes, and if my time has come, then we should both accept it."

Yugito smiled sadly, brushing away the start of tears from her eyes. "That's the one thing I hate about all of you good Kages. So ready and willing to throw your lives away at the first opportunity." She leaned forward to gently kiss his cheek. "I'll respect your wishes, Saru-jiji, but one way or another, I'll see you again. That's a promise."

* * *

The bond of family had always been a curious thing to Hinata. Aside from fear, it was the only thing that had kept her from running away from the Hyuuga compound the moment she was able to. Despite the clan's treatment of her, they were technically the same as she, and she belonged with them. That was more or less what they'd taught her, and what she'd recognized with her own two eyes. Neither had been happy with the arrangement, but they'd allowed it, for a time.

Then Sasuke had come into the picture, and suddenly Hinata found herself a part of a new family, one where her opinions and feelings mattered. For the first time, she knew she was precious to someone outside of her clan, and it was an amazing experience. Given the choice, she would never return to the Hyuuga willingly.

And yet, when Rei had informed her that Hyuuga Hiashi had been seriously wounded in battle, Hinata was unable to harden her heart against him. She hated him, for what he'd done to her, and might still one day do to Hanabi, but in the end, he was the only father she'd ever known, and part of her would always love part of him, if only to spite him.

Ironically, Hinata met no resistance when trying to see her father, despite the heavy guard of Branch House Hyuuga and even an ANBU for good measure. She could only guess that this was either because of Rei's presence, or at least in the ANBU's case, high praise from Ibiki. That she was allowed into the room at all told her, at the very least, that her father was not conscious.

But even that knowledge left Hinata ill-prepared for what she found inside the room. Her father was indeed unconscious in the hospital bed, but other than a bandaged wound on his shoulder, appeared to be unmarked. For a moment, she wondered if Rei had exaggerated his condition in a misguided attempt to repair the rift between father and daughter.

The only real oddity about the entire scene was the bird-masked, brown-cloaked ANBU at Hiashi's bedside, staring down at the clan head intently. The ANBU didn't move the slightest bit until Hinata took a step towards him, and even then he only spared her a glance.

"How are you with genjutsu?" he asked abruptly.

Hinata and Rei traded confused glances, uncertain who he was addressing.

"Both of you," he amended a second later, sounding slightly impatient.

"I would guess you are more skilled than either of us, ANBU-san," Hinata replied.

His shoulders slumped visibly. "Shit. Then we're screwed."

"You mean genjutsu did this to him?" Hinata asked in surprise. It was hard to imagine that the head of a clan known for being nearly immune to genjutsu had been incapacitated by one. Of course, the Uchiha had always been more skilled at countering them, but the Hyuuga had, for the most part, been able to pierce illusions with ease.

"Yeah, and that's all we know about it," the ANBU growled. "A word of advice: don't ever let your superior get killed in action, or they'll stick you with his job. Damn stupid Ibiki had to go and get himself dead..."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Ibiki-san is... dead?"

"Yeah," the ANBU said, suddenly sounding proud. "And he couldn't do it simple, either. No, he had to take on the Sound-nin riding Manda, the crazy idiot. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself."

"It wasn't Orochimaru who killed him, then?" Rei asked.

"No. Some tiny girl with orange hair. But she was riding Manda, and until we actually saw her up close, nobody could really tell the difference. Even her chakra was the same as his, and I don't even want to know how they pulled that off. And that's not even our biggest problem." He gestured towards Hiashi. "Our resident genjutsu expert was the one we'd normally get to fix him, except she's the one who did it, if the story I heard is true. So no help there. If she does this to anyone without the Byakugan, I'd hate to see the results."

"What can you tell us?" Hinata asked softly, staring at her father. She was reaching for his hand before she could stop herself, and by the time she'd touched it, it was too late to turn back. His skin was warm but unmoving, and somehow that comforted her.

The ANBU gave no warning as he formed an oddly familiar hand seal. Before Hinata could ask, her father grunted and opened his eyes. They swung wildly for a moment, before settling on the ANBU, and then Rei. Neither drew much reaction other than calm recognition, but when he saw Hinata, and where her hand was, his eyes widened.

"Hiashi-sama," the ANBU said, nodding slightly. "Forgive me, but I had to wake you for security reasons. I succeeded Morino Ibiki in the field. Anything you can tell me about the genjutsu Kurenai used on you would be extremely helpful for future reference."

Hiashi blinked a few times and calmed down, but his gaze never left Hinata. "I thought my brain was drowning in its own blood," he said simply.

"You were bleeding from the ears, according to the group that brought you in," the ANBU confirmed.

"Hmm. I suspect it would be lethal under the right circumstances, or against a lesser-prepared foe. Do you think you can counter it, Crow?"

It was obvious, to Hinata at least, that her father respected and even admired this ANBU's skill with genjutsu to ask such a question. His answer, therefore, worried her.

"I was never as good as Kurenai. And I don't have your eyes to fall back on if that's still true."

"You have... other talents," Hiashi said evasively, clearly aware of their present company.

"Nothing quite as good, though." The ANBU sighed and shook his head. "I was only able to bring you out of it because on a subconscious level, you knew it was an illusion all along. I just had to guide you out of it."

"I am in your debt, Crow."

"Let's say we're even," Crow replied, and Hinata had the feeling he might've been winking behind his mask.

"As you say." Hiashi's eyes followed the ANBU as he left the room, then swung back to Hinata.

"I'm glad you're safe, otou-sama," she whispered, slowly releasing his hand.

If Hiashi had a problem with her calling him that still, he didn't mention it. "Where is Hanabi?"

"With Gaara," Rei answered. She hoped that was still true, at least.

Hiashi frowned. "And why are you not with her?"

"There was... a monster in the stadium. I aided Hinata and Tsunade-sama in its defeat."

Hiashi blinked very slowly. "Ah. That red creature."

"It killed two chuunin hopefuls and shrugged off even lethal blows," Hinata said. In a softer tone, she added, "It tried to take Sasuke."

"I see." He looked disturbed by the news, though it was hard to say why. "And I suppose neither of you can confirm the reports that claim Hanabi was actually fighting Orochimaru alongside the Shodai Hokage?"

There was only one thing that Rei could think of to save herself.

"Truly, Hanabi-sama is the heiress of the Hyuuga Clan."

Hiashi looked as if he might laugh, or possibly choke. "Indeed."

* * *

There is some knowledge that only the dead have access to, or even have a use for.

For most of his life, the Shodai Hokage had studied the forests around him, and had even given birth to several more through his unique skill for Mokuton jutsu. Among his people, he'd been praised as a storehouse of shinobi skills and techniques, as any Kage most likely would.

Then he had died, and found out that all the knowledge he'd amassed in his life... was nothing compared to the tomes of the dead. He had discovered that all of his research into Mokuton, his most advanced and commonly used art, was woefully incomplete and full of mistakes. That no one but the dead would ever realize this was a small relief, but the Shodai Hokage's honor would not allow him to leave the matter unsettled. Even then, he felt as if Konoha still depended on him in some way, and it was the Hokage's duty to arm himself as best he could, in order to best protect his village.

For years after his death, he had studied the art which had served him so well in life.

Had he known that he'd ever be called back to the world of the living, he would've done more.

But what he had done was more than enough.

That knowledge brought an almost amused grin to the Shodai Hokage's face as he knelt over Orochimaru's corpse. "You are among the greatest scourges that this village has ever known. But you, too, will serve your purpose to nourish the Will of Fire." He let a single seed fall from his hand onto Orochimaru's chest, and then gave it the smallest application of chakra that he could manage.

The seed burst open instantly, and a single vine emerged, burrowing into the Snake Sannin's chest and taking root deep inside his black heart. From there, it grew rapidly, forming a sturdy, twenty foot tall tree with man-sized, heart-shaped leaves in under a minute.

"It is time to tend to our garden, my friend," the Shodai said, placing his hands on the tree trunk.

In response, the enormous, heavy leaves began to sprout up from the ground all over the village. Most Sound and Sand-nin were too startled to do more than gasp before they were swatted down and crushed by the overly aggressive plants.

Slowly but surely, Konoha began to gain ground in the invasion that had nearly torn it apart.

* * *

"Why don't we have THOSE in the shop?" Ino gasped, her eyes wide as she watched the odd leaves attack their enemies.

"You wouldn't. That is a Tree of the Underworld," Kyuubi said quietly.

Ino tore her eyes away and stared at Kyuubi, who, oddly enough, looked uncomfortable. That even a creature as powerful as him was afraid of death was a sobering thought. Although it was only due to his power that they weren't down there among all the destruction. Instead, they were floating high above Konoha in a large, swirling ball of wind chakra. At least, Ino assumed it was wind chakra, since the ball was blue, Kyuubi seemed more likely to use fire, and Naruto clearly had some talent with wind chakra.

Behind her, Haku was silent, though he would occasionally squeeze her waist, as if to remind her that he was still with her. Had anyone else done it, Ino might've thought they were trying to cop a feel, but she knew Haku better than that.

The others were silent as well, mostly because they were still in various stages of recovery. Gaara had been unconscious since they discovered him, and though Hanabi said he was just exhausted, it was clear from the worry in her tone that it wasn't the only problem. Yugito had closed up his few wounds only after Kyojuu confirmed that despite the lingering smell, there was no poison in Gaara's body. Curiously, Kyojuu had said that Gaara's wounds, which consisted mostly of deep scratches on his face, were self-inflicted. Ino had been about to ask about that, but Hanabi had quickly changed the subject.

Temari was only being quiet because she'd fallen asleep beside Gaara, completely worn out from the day's events.

It was Konkon who finally broke the silence again. "Hey, Boss. Did you-?"

"Yes, kit," Kyuubi interrupted. "I felt it, the same as you. And it cannot be a good sign."

"What? What's wrong?" Ino asked. "Tell me!"

Kyuubi slowly looked at her, silencing any further demands with the weight of his gaze. "You may be a fox summoner, but even if, through some miracle, you gained enough chakra to summon me, you could never command me." Then, after a long pause, he added, "You have a personal summon for such things."

"Konkon?" Ino asked immediately, nudging the large fox beneath her.

"Manda, the Snake Boss, was just dismissed," Konkon replied. "By his summoner."

"But... that's good, right?"

"No, it's very bad. It means their objectives have been met, and that Manda was no longer needed. That also means he probably enjoyed a very filling meal before he left, and in case you were wondering, there aren't any giant rats around here."

"More than anything else," Kyuubi continued, "it most likely means the Hokage is dead, or is about to be."

"W-What?!" Ino cried. "Then we have to do something! We have to stop this!"

"Um, Ino?" Konkon asked, laughing nervously. "You really need to brush up on your history, if you think the Boss is gonna help a Hokage."

"But... the Sandaime didn't do anything to you!"

Kyuubi snorted loudly. "No, he just allowed this village to become a second prison for my container and me. As if we weren't miserable enough just being stuck with each other. I will not help him."

"Naruto would never agree to that! He'd never accept it!"

"It is time that you and all others realized that a demon container's existence is nothing but sacrifice," Kyuubi said quietly. "They are not blessed with, or entitled to, the things that normal humans are. If the boy did not realize what giving me control might mean for those of this village, he would be a hopeless idiot. He knows I will only serve our best interests, and nothing the Sandaime could do would help us. The old man proved that long ago, several times over."

"There's no point in wasting time arguing, Ino-san," Yugito offered. "Kyuubi won't help you with this, but I suspect he won't try to stop you, either."

"Fine!" Ino snapped. "Hanabi, let's go!"

"I'm staying with Gaara," Hanabi murmured softly. "I owe a great deal to Sandaime-sama, but I can't leave Gaara. Not right now, at least."

Ino frowned. "Well... what about you, Yugito?"

"I've given Saru-jiji all the help I could. But he asked me not to interfere again. If he dies, he will do so when he is ready."

Ino stared at them all in disbelief. "So... none of you will help me?"

"I'll go," Kyojuu said at last, hauling himself onto Konkon's back behind Haku. "I'm not doing anything useful here, anyway. And I don't want to think what Naruto might do if anything happened to you."

Ino blushed slightly, then frowned at the others one last time before urging Konkon forward with a pat on the neck. Konkon nodded and leapt through the wind barrier, meeting no resistance, just as Yugito had predicted.

"Listen, don't be mad at Yugito," Kyojuu said as they fell. "She doesn't want the old man to die, either."

"So why wouldn't she help?" Ino demanded.

Kyojuu sighed. "She's a shinigami, Ino. If she helped, the old man probably WOULD die. If he asked her not to help, it's because he doesn't want to live again."

* * *

"It won't be much longer now, child. We're almost at the hospital."

"Okay, Hokage-sama."

The Sandaime Hokage took a deep breath and continued his slow and painful journey through the village. It was hard to say what hurt worse: his damaged arms, the damage he was currently witnessing to his village, or the fact that, once again, another Hokage had stepped up to save the day. He'd lost a great deal of sleep over the years, wishing he'd either given his life in battle with Orochimaru, or against Kyuubi. Konoha would be so much better off, had the Yondaime lived. Or at least, the more corrupt elements in the village wouldn't be quite as prevalent. There was only so much an old man with limited support could do.

But being an old man did have some advantages, even if they were a little embarrassing.

The small girl at his side was a perfect example. They had never met, but she was apparently the daughter of a merchant who had come to Konoha for the chuunin exam finals. She was only a civilian, but she'd gotten a little ninja training from her older cousin, who was a retired jounin. Armed with nothing but a chakra-charged kunai, she'd cut him out of the Shodai's tree barrier, determined to get him to the hospital. As she was the second person who'd come by, the Sandaime knew it was only a matter of time before an enemy showed up.

"By the way, child," the Hokage said as he led her by the hand, "you never told me your name."

The orange-haired girl offered him a shy smile, blushing cutely. "It's Sasame, Hokage-sama."

* * *

**Next Chapter: Will of the Snake**

Even as the Sound starts to retreat, Orochimaru's heir cripples Konoha with a single strike. But she isn't the only one following in the Snake Sannin's footsteps, as Kakashi puts his new Mangekyou Sharingan and a forbidden jutsu to good use. Sasuke tries to defect, but there's someone standing in his way: his wife!

Endnotes:

It's been pretty well established that the circumstances to obtain the Mangekyou are kinda dodgy. I'm going with the theory that so long as you feel directly responsible for an especially loved one's death, you can obtain it: Kakashi feels as if he could've prevented Anko's death, and so places the blame for it entirely on himself. As such, I have NO explanation for why it takes canon Kakashi so long, except that possibly his Mangekyou is as late as he is, or maybe it just takes longer with a transplanted Sharingan.

Jutsu list:

Kyojuu's jutsu:

**Doton: Retsudotensho (Earth Release: Split Earth Turn Around Palm)**

This technique allows the ninja to control nearby stone and rock. When the ninja slams their palm to the ground, surrounding rock will begin to churn and twist up crushing all those trapped within it. Kyojuu's version is S-ranked because he fuels the jutsu with Gobi's chakra, affecting a much larger area and mimicking the movements of Kyojuu's hand if he desires. From there, he can simply crush his target, or have the rocks grind drown any remaining defenses first.

**Doton: Doryudan (Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet)**

This jutsu creates a likeness of a dragon's head that launches mud balls from its mouth onto the opponent.

**Raiton: Tsume no Gobi (Lightning Release: Claw of the Five Tails):**

Kyojuu adds elemental chakra to a normal rake of his claws.

**Suiton: Kakou (Water Release: River Mouth):**

Kyojuu increases the amount of water in his body, flushing out most foreign substances, such as poisons, through his mouth. This is more or less an automatic defense against anything the Gobi considers a hostile element within Kyojuu's body.

* * *

Kurenai's jutsu:

**"Akatsuki no Jutsu"**

**Magen: Akatsuki no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Daybreak Technique):**

A genjutsu that traps the victim in the illusion that their brain is bleeding. From the victim's perspective, their vision is gradually swallowed up by a sea of red, before they black out entirely. The illusion is so convincing that the body may actually bleed on its own. It should be noted that the full version of this technique is fatal: while the paralyzed victim drowns in illusionary blood, Kurenai can pierce their skulls with a kunai, making the illusion reality. But even the genjutsu half alone can kill if too much blood is lost, the victim's will is too weak to resist, or if the brain is simply unable to recover.

* * *

Gaara's jutsu:

**Kuchiyose: Daija no Suna (Summoning: Serpents of Sand):**

With Anko's spirit now bound to Gaara's body, Shukaku can summon snakes in sand or rock form, complete with poisonous breath and venom. Being composed entirely of earth, they cannot be killed, and can reform as long as Shukaku has enough chakra to do so.

* * *

Sasori's jutsu:

**Satetsu (Iron Sand):**

This jutsu was created by the Sandaime Kazekage, who based it on techniques used by one of the previous Jinchuriki of Shukaku. Using his magnetic chakra, the Sandaime Kazekage could manipulate Satetsu into any shape he desired. After the Sandaime Kazekage was turned into a Human Puppet by Sasori, the latter was able to use Satetsu and its related jutsu as well. The Satetsu used by Sasori is highly poisonous.

* * *

**Kakashi's jutsu: Kamui**

SPECIAL NOTE: Kakashi's single Mangekyou jutsu finally has a name now, so I'm going to use it, although technically the way I'm using it is slightly different. Supposedly he can send things into a different dimension. In my version, he can send things (himself and others included) THROUGH a different dimension, so that they re-emerge somewhere else. Teleportation, in other words. I suppose he should technically still be able to just leave things in that dimension, either on purpose or accidentally. But as this is a Sharingan power, I'm assuming that extra dimension isn't exactly rainbows and rabbits.

As for why I'm doing it this way, obviously Madara has already exhibited similar powers (I STILL say that mysterious phasing ability is either Madara moving super fast or teleporting).

* * *

Tobi's jutsu:

**Kakuremino no Tenju (Cloak of the Tenju):**

Tobi uses the black flames of Amaterasu to form a temporary shield, though it can be disarmed if met with enough force.

**Hyuuga Hijutsu: Taiatari no Hisshou (Hyuuga Secret Technique: Certain Victory of the Body Blow):**

Tobi gathers chakra just beneath the surface of his skin, expelling it gradually each time an opponent strikes him with taijutsu. In this way, he can slowly seal off their chakra channels through even brief contact, disarming them long before they realize it.

**Uchiha Hijutsu: Mattaki Kaiten (Uchiha Secret Technique: Complete Heavenly Spin):**

Tobi blends the black flames of Amaterasu with the Kaiten to create a large spiral of black fire around himself. Anything that touches the spiral is pulled in and consumed by the black fire. This attack puts a severe drain on Tobi's chakra, and the high speed at which he needs to spin to bring about the black spiral causes him to become very dizzy for several minutes afterwards.

* * *

Shodai Hokage's jutsu:

**Mokuton: Kaju no Meido: Ryuuketsuju (Wood Release: Flowering Tree of the Underworld: Dragon Tree)**

A violent, rapidly-growing tree that can only take root in the hearts of those that have recently died. Although it requires a small amount of chakra to grow, once it reaches maturity, its leaves absorb chakra from its victims to maintain itself. It will only stop growing and die on the command of its master.


	35. Will of the Snake

Notes: Been a long time since I did this, so there are probably plenty of mistakes.

* * *

**The Nature of Love**

**A Naruto Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 35: Will of the Snake**

* * *

Kurenai landed hard on the ground in a heap with Itachi and Tobi, disoriented but otherwise fine. She was still getting her bearings when there was a high-pitched cry of, "Oh no! Birdy, you're hurt!" A small girl wearing an Akatsuki cloak ran past Kurenai and gently took Itachi's arm, carefully pulling him into an upright position.

"I will survive, Hatsumi," Itachi said, though he still sounded more than a little tired.

Frowning, the girl took a bright red pill from her cloak and pushed it into his mouth with no warning. Itachi nearly choked on it, but forced himself to swallow. Then the girl turned her attention to Tobi, who was doubled over, groaning softly, and holding his stomach. "You threw up, huh?" she asked, rubbing his back sympathetically.

Tobi made a noise that was probably a positive.

"Poor Big Buddy. It's okay." She pillowed her head against his back and began to hum softly.

Kurenai was still not sure what to make of this when Kisame suddenly appeared at her side, dropping to the ground just as roughly as she had. "The hell?!" he shouted, his hand already closing around Samehada's hilt when he noticed them. "Oh," he said, calming down at once.

"So you DO know what's happened?" Kurenai asked, trying not to sound as desperately lost as she really was.

"Yeah. Must be the kid and her transport seals again," he grunted, nodding at Hatsumi.

"Indeed," said a new voice, and Kurenai froze as two other people appeared. The first looked like a botany experiment gone horribly wrong. The second was so obviously wearing a stolen body that Kurenai found it hard to keep looking at him long. The slightly maniacal expression on his face gave her the creeps. And that was saying something, considering that the other one had TWO faces, each of them rather ugly in its own right.

"Transport seals?" Kurenai asked, not wanting to remain in the dark.

She thought Kisame or Itachi would explain, but surprisingly enough, Hatsumi did. "In case anyone got in trouble, like they did today, I can pull them back to me. I can make all kinds of seals!"

Kurenai certainly believed it: her Hachigan confirmed that the little girl had far more chakra than Kurenai herself did now. "Even forbidden ones?" she asked without thinking.

Hatsumi blinked and grinned. "Well, those are the most fun, aren't they?"

If the girl really was responsible for the transport seals, Kurenai realized with growing shock, then she was only mere steps away from reproducing one of the Yondaime Hokage's most famous jutsu. That is, if she hadn't already. At one time, this would've filled Kurenai with dread, but now it only confirmed that she'd made the right choice in following Itachi. She never would've learned this much so quickly any other way.

"Oh, wait!" Hatsumi cried. "Hot Potato and General Dolly aren't here yet!" She shut her eyes tightly and flared her chakra.

An instant later, Deidara appeared, bound and gagged by many thick vines, and seconds after that, so did someone who Kurenai first mistook for the assumed dead Sandaime Kazekage.

"Damn, Sasori," Kisame muttered, frowning at his comrade. "When you said you were having difficulties, I didn't know you meant-"

"Not now," Sasori said, his voice laced with such loathing and killing intent that Kisame fell silent. With a halfhearted gesture from the puppet master, a long blade shot out of his right arm and slashed Deidara free from the vines. "Zetsu, were you able to retrieve Orochimaru's body?"

"Impossible at this time," the plant man replied. "His body is being used as a foundation for a Tree of the Underworld. I could only attempt to claim him once it died, and even that could prove difficult."

"Amazing how even his failed plans always seem to backfire on us," Deidara snapped, tearing off a leftover vine from his shoulder and tossing it away. "If I'd been allowed to kill him before-"

"No. Even in his meddling, Orochimaru has done us a favor," Itachi said, sounding and looking far healthier than he had before. "Konoha is vulnerable. Now would be the best time to capture the demon vessels."

"Captain Awesome thought so, too!" Hatsumi chimed in. "That's why he sent Valentine to get them!"

* * *

Through his defeats by Kimimaro and Itachi, Sasuke had learned one thing: he wasn't ready.

No, more than that. He wasn't ready, and there was no way he would get ready by remaining in Konoha. He'd made remarkable progress under Gaara, and the new powers that Shizuka had given him were considerable, but none of it was enough. Itachi advanced too quickly, and there were strong opponents out there that a Leaf-nin, bound by duty to his village, would never even see. Sasuke understood now that in order to beat Itachi, as much as he hated to do so, he needed to follow in his brother's footsteps and leave Konoha.

Sasuke came to this decision with great reluctance, though. He hated to leave Hinata behind, and he owed Gaara so much. But Itachi had no attachments that could be used against him, and that had only made him stronger. It was better for Sasuke to have no people close to him, as well. And if Hinata never forgave him, those feelings of regret and pain would only strengthen his resolve. Itachi had cost Sasuke everything, and now his marriage would be added to that list. It was just another reason to end his brother's life.

It was easy to leave the hospital: the ANBU guard outside of the room had never considered that he was also meant to prevent Sasuke from escaping. Going out through the window was a simple matter, and the moment Sasuke hit the ground, he began to run. Hinata would miss him soon, so there was only so much time available.

Along the way, Sasuke spotted many Sound-nin fleeing, and was soon among them with a convincing henge. As he'd hoped, they were too busy running to give him even a first glance. Odd plants had sprouted up nearly everywhere, and kept snatching up Sound-nin as they ran past. Sasuke noticed that even on the few occasions he'd dared to come close to the plants, they never attacked him. He thought it was strange, but didn't question it.

He was just minutes away from the village gates when the first lightning bolt took him in the left shoulder.

Though he hadn't even sensed it coming, Sasuke rolled with the blow, whirling around just as Hinata burst from the trees a few feet away, her entire body bathed in the blinding blue glow of Hizashi's aura. Not wasting a moment, she pointed the sword straight up, and the blue glow intensified.

Sasuke was moving before the lightning bolts could form, but he was still hard pressed to dodge all of them. The first had been more of a warning than anything else, but these were obviously meant to stun him or worse, depending on how angry Hinata was with him. He found out when the next bolt connected with his wrist. White hot pain flooded Sasuke's body, and he went limp, collapsing heavily to the ground. He tried to get up, but his limbs would only spasm uncontrollably when he commanded them to move.

Hinata approached him calmly, but the fury in her pale eyes was unlike anything he'd ever seen before.

"How...?" Sasuke whispered. "You told me that Hizashi swore to protect your family. So how can it attack me?"

"Oh, we had a rather long conversation on the way here," Hinata replied. "And he agreed that by running away, you were threatening the unity of our family. That cannot be allowed." In a softer tone, she asked, "Why, Sasuke-kun? If you thought Konoha couldn't give you the strength that you needed, why wouldn't you at least ask Gaara and I to come with you? Are we so easy to abandon?"

"Itachi... threw everything away," Sasuke choked out, feeling tears prickling behind his eyes. "And in return, he was rewarded with incredible power."

Hinata's face fell. "Oh, Sasuke-kun. You never understood. All the power you think Itachi gained... all of it came from here. Itachi was a genius because he mastered what Konoha taught him so quickly. Even the Mangekyou he gained came from Shisui-san, and only Konoha could have taught him to treasure a friend enough where that would've been possible. How many times must I say it? You aren't Itachi. You can't take the same path to power. It isn't in you, and besides..." Her eyes narrowed, and her voice hardened. "I won't let you."

Sasuke took a deep, shuddering breath and sprang to his feet, wincing as the last of the paralysis faded. As he'd hoped, Hinata's attempts at convincing him to stay had allowed enough time for the numbness to vanish on its own. "You can't stop me, Hinata-chan. I'm stronger, and it has to be this way."

"Hizashi and I agree. You'll only be able to defeat me with the power that Shizuka gave you. Otherwise, you might as well come back to the hospital with me right now."

"If that's what I must do," Sasuke growled, shaking his head. He reached deep within, searching for the power that he'd used against Itachi... and hit a roadblock. "What?" he whispered, just before the world around him shimmered and melted away. Suddenly, he was standing in a place that seemed oddly familiar. It was a small, dimly lit room. Candles lined the floor in two neat rows. At the end of the path was a large altar, and resting on top of it was Shizuka. She stretched out her gold on black wings as he approached, her eyes flashing ominously.

"Sasuke-sama," she greeted, inclining her head slightly.

"Where is it?" Sasuke demanded. "Where is the power you gave me before?"

The thunderbird seemed disappointed by his response. "I gave you that power to defeat your mortal enemy. Now you wish to use it against your wife? The same person who loves you unconditionally, and raised me with such kindness?"

Sasuke did feel some guilt, but did his best to ignore it.

"Perhaps I made a mistake," Shizuka sighed. "I didn't think you were ready, but I feared you would die without my aid. Still, if this is how you seek to use my power, then you are far from ready to wield my gifts."

"What are you saying?" Sasuke asked, feeling cold all over.

"I won't take away my power completely, Sasuke-sama. But from this day forth, until you prove yourself worthy again, my power is sealed. You will not see me again until you are ready."

"WAIT!" Sasuke shouted, rushing forward, but with a single beat of her mighty wings, Shizuka sent him tumbling backwards, out of the darkness, and directly into a hard palm strike to the right shoulder. He hissed in pain and backed away as Hinata frowned and readied herself for another attack.

"Please stop this, Sasuke-kun. Come back with me," she pleaded.

"You don't understand! Neither of you do! I need stronger opponents! Greater challenges! It's the only way I'll ever defeat Itachi!"

Hinata blinked and sighed. "Fine. Hizashi, are you willing to help me with this?"

"You need only say the word, Hinata-sama," the sword replied, pulsing in her hand.

"I never dreamed I would be using this against you first, Sasuke-kun," Hinata whispered, a single tear falling from her left eye. "But at least Hanabi will be pleased to know that she was right. Again."

Sasuke had no idea what to expect, but it certainly wasn't what happened next.

Hinata dropped her sword, but instead of clattering to the ground, it seemed to pass through the ground and vanish. Then she settled into a familiar Gentle Fist stance, one that Sasuke had learned to guard against some time ago. It was virtually impossible for that attack to work against him now; Hinata had shown him some of the counters herself, and the rest he'd made up on his own. He had to assume that she had changed her mind, and was no longer capable of hurting him. It made his heart ache, but Sasuke told himself that he was doing what was best for them both.

"Forgive me, Hinata-chan," he muttered under his breath before charging. At the very least, he would only use taijutsu against her. The very thought of burning her pale, flawless skin made him nauseous, but bruises would clear up eventually.

Hinata made no move to defend herself, merely staying in her stance.

Sasuke closed in, directing his first punch towards her left shoulder. There was enough force behind it to spin her body around, where he could easily end this with a quick, painless chop to the neck. Then he would carry Hinata somewhere safe, where an enemy wouldn't find her, and leave.

However, just two inches from Hinata's shoulder, Sasuke's arm was grabbed and held by an unseen force. He struggled uselessly as Hinata took a deep breath and stepped closer.

"I love you, Sasuke-kun," she breathed, and then she landed the first two strikes: one on his captured arm, and the other on his chest.

Sasuke inhaled sharply as he felt his chakra draining away. That much, he'd expected, though. What he did not expect was that immediately after those two hits, the unseen force struck him four times, and with far greater force than Hinata had, sealing off more than twice the amount of chakra than she had. He was very much dazed by that point, his eyes glassy and unfocused.

"I would do anything to save you from pain, even if it means hurting you now." Now she landed four strikes, but Sasuke could barely even feel them. He certainly felt the eight heavy blows that followed, as they left his entire body numb. His vision swam, and Sasuke instinctively sent the little chakra he still had access to towards his eyes, hoping to at least discover how Hinata was doing this. What he saw made his mouth drop open in shock.

Just behind Hinata was what appeared to be a thicker, taller version of her own shadow. But as she finished her eight strikes, the shadow was suddenly bathed in light as it lurched forward, and Sasuke was trapped within the furious gaze of Hyuuga Hizashi as the dead man hit him with sixteen rapidfire strikes. Pain unlike anything Sasuke had ever known shot through his body, and halfway through Hinata's sixteen strikes, he collapsed bonelessly to the ground, blood slowly leaking from his mouth.

"You can't leave me behind," Hinata sighed, dropping to her knees and stroking Sasuke's head tenderly. "We won't let you..."

"Let this be the last time you attempt to severe the bonds of family with Hinata-sama," Hizashi warned sternly as his body began to fade.

Sasuke did not even have the strength left to glare as he blacked out.

* * *

Although the majority of the Sound was retreating, the four overseeing the retreat had hidden themselves in an abandoned apartment. Like their comrades, they were reasonably stressed, and closing in on their respective breaking points.

"Well? Any word from Sasame?"

Kagero sighed in frustration. "She refuses to retreat with everyone else, Arashi. She insists on killing the Hokage first."

Arashi frowned. "Can't you just teleport her, anyway?"

"No. One of the seals Orochimaru-sama placed on her must prevent me from doing so without Sasame's permission. And even if I could do that, how long do you think it would take her to overwhelm us? All of our powers are linked to her. She could take all of our strength back in a heartbeat."

"He's planned for this all along," Arashi hissed angrily, driving his fist into the wall. "He made it so we'd have no control over her. Now all Sasame cares about is carrying out his wishes. She could die!"

"She won't, though," Kagero muttered reluctantly. "If she could die so easily, Orochimaru-sama wouldn't have put so much time and effort into raising her. We know that much for sure."

"So stop worrying," Kamikiri snapped. "There's nothing we can do but make sure the rest of the Sound escapes. Kagero, there's no need to transport the Sand as well-"

"Already on it. The seals I placed on them are slightly different from ours. Only Kankurou's is still active by now, and I doubt he'll need it again."

Jigumo shook his head slightly. "I still can't believe Orochimaru-sama is really dead. I mean... I didn't think he COULD die. Did any of you?"

Kamikiri glared at him. "Would you let it go? He's dead."

"And so are you."

Kamikiri spun around like the wind, his giant pincers flashing. The arm holding them was wrenched brutally behind his back, and the very weapon that Kamikiri had depended on for most of his life was used to behead him.

"I only need one of you alive," Kakashi said solemnly as he dropped the dead Fuma and stepped over him. "The rest I'll kill for trashing my village."

"It's the Copy Nin! Rush him!" Arashi barked.

For most of the Sound, the standing order was to flee on sight if they came up against Kakashi. Unless, of course, they were of the elite, as the Fuma were, and/or had a Cursed Seal to rely on. However, that order had been issued back when Kakashi only had a Sharingan, and more importantly, when the woman he had considered to be his best friend and soulmate was still alive.

But Anko was dead, Kakashi had the Mangekyou now, and consequently, he was not in one of his better moods. The Fuma would've been better off running, if all it would've meant was that they would lived a few minutes longer.

Kagero was dead the moment a Chidori was shoved into her heart.

Arashi was far more resistant to lightning, and wasn't all that surprised when the Chidori meant for him was neatly absorbed into the seal hidden beneath his clothes.

Kakashi frowned beneath his mask, and neatly caught Arashi's head as it rolled into his hand, courtesy of a well-placed use of his new Kamui. Then he turned to Jigumo, who by then was shaking like a leaf. Kagero and Arashi had easily been more powerful than him, and together, they hadn't even lasted seven seconds.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you," Kakashi said in a friendly tone, offering a disarming eye smile and clapping Jigumo on the shoulder. "The forbidden jutsu I'm going to sacrifice you for, however, is."

* * *

Sasame had been a kind, affectionate girl for much of her life. Her only real flaw back then had been the childhood crush she'd developed on her older cousin Arashi. Arashi had always displayed a talent for high-level ninjutsu, while Sasame... had not. But in an effort to stay close to him, she'd poured all her energy into becoming a Fuma Clan ninja, too. So when the hand of Orochimaru reached out for Arashi, it couldn't help but close around Sasame as well. And even if it hadn't, she would've followed blindly, anyway.

Orochimaru had an eye for two things: talent and potential. Generally, he looked for talent in his subordinates. These were people he could use right away, without much training or preparation. Potential, on the other hand, had to be drawn or forced out, and depending on the person, that could take years of effort.

Arashi had talent, while Sasame had potential. And patience had never really been Orochimaru's strong point.

Sasame had started out with only an oddly strong resistance to injury and sickness, which was not unheard of among the Fuma Clan, but still rather rare. Over the years, Orochimaru had covered most of her body in various seals, some of which even Sasame didn't know the function of. But that was fine: most of the seals were made to activate automatically in certain situations. Sasame saw each one as a symbol of Orochimaru's faith in her: most of his elite only ever received one, after all.

As her power grew, Sasame's feelings changed. Orochimaru was the one who constantly praised her determination, while Arashi and her kinsmen grew uneasy with the increasing changes in her. Sasame was surprised to find one day that she simply didn't care what others thought of her. So long as Orochimaru continued to reward her with little more than an affectionate pat on the head, she would slaughter armies for him (although it was usually just a matter of summoning Manda and watching watching the carnage unfold).

Orochimaru's death had startled her, quite badly, in fact, but not for long. So often he had talked of death as if it were merely another enemy to defeat and make another of his many servants. Sasame firmly believe that he would rise again, and when that happened, she wanted to be able to tell him that she'd destroyed his greatest enemy for him.

And as she gazed up at the old man walking beside her, Sasame couldn't help smiling. Her dream was so close now: the Sandaime Hokage was on his last legs, and all she would have to do was deliver the finishing blow. He would never even see it coming, and if not for the fact that Sasame would make the killer's identity obvious, Konoha would've never learned who defeated their Hokage.

But, as they tended to do, problems arose.

The unlikely pair was still a good distance from the hospital when an ANBU with a crow mask appeared in their path.

"Hiruzen-sama, please step away from that girl. She is dangerous."

The Hokage paused, obviously surprised at the use of his given name. He also realized, however, that Crow had only done so to convey the urgency he felt at the moment. "What exactly do you-?"

"She is Orochimaru's heir!" Crow shouted.

The expression on the Sandaime's face was one of pure disbelief. But even as he turned towards Sasame, he already knew what he would see.

Sasame was staring up at him in confusion and fear. "What's he talking about, Hokage-sama? Who's Orochimaru?"

"Don't believe her! She summoned Manda and killed Ibiki before my eyes! Her only purpose here is to destroy you!"

"Calm down, Crow," the Hokage ordered. "Think about what you're saying. How could a mere child do any of what you're claiming?"

Crow's shoulders sagged. "The same way a mere child could hold Kyuubi prisoner. And if you still doubt what I say, then use the Seal of the Black Sun on her! If she is as innocent as you believe, it will have no effect!"

It was a drastic step, but it was also an easy way to learn the truth, the Hokage realized at once. He sighed and turned back to Sasame, who had moved slightly behind him. "I'm sorry, my child, but I promise this won't-"

"I don't like him! He's scary!" Sasame wailed, burying her face in the old man's back. "Make him go away!"

The Sandaime was about to do no such thing, not with such serious allegations against her. Crow was one of his most trusted subordinates, and had literally given up his life for Konoha as a genin. If he had any failing, it was fierce loyalty to his commanders, and Ibiki's death would certainly explain his actions now.

Crow was done waiting, however. He had lost one leader in the invasion, and he was determined not to lose another. But before he could act, the choice was taken out of his hands.

"KAGE BUNSHIN SHIKA!"

Sasame shrieked in genuine fear as a living shadow oozed over her, seizing her arms and binding them roughly behind her back.

Crow and the Hokage turned to see a most unusual sight: Yamanaka Ino, Haku, and Kyojuu riding a giant, flying fox. Ino's face was frozen in a determined scowl, but the reason for this was not clear until she leaped to the ground. Both men immediately noticed that the shadow entrapping Sasame was instantly linked back to her feet.

Kyojuu approached Sasame first, scowling and taking a big sniff. "It's her, alright. She smells like snakes and blood."

"Hokage-sama, that girl is trying to kill you!" Ino shouted.

The Sandaime said nothing. He had been very busy lately, but he was still fully aware of Ino's mental state. Kyojuu, however, was noted to have no such problems, and neither was Crow. So while he was far more inclined to believe that Sasame wasn't innocent, he still was not about to punish her without concrete proof. "I will be the judge of that, young lady." He performed a long series of hand seals with blinding speed, and then stretched out a glowing hand towards Sasame.

Crow was only one present that had seen Sasame in action, so he was the only one that had any idea of what to expect. He knew to keep his eyes on hers, for several reasons, the most important being that it could very well be the only warning they received.

And just as he'd feared, Sasame's eyes flashed with an eerie, dark violet light, gold bleeding into the pupils as she opened her mouth.

This time, however, he knew what was coming, and timed his response perfectly to intercept. Using small, subtle movements, he formed a miniature window with his fingers. And although he was well past the point where he needed to correct his aim by raising his hands to eye level, his intention would've been obvious to anyone that had ever battled alongside or against a Yamanaka, and certainly to one that belonged to that clan.

Ino immediately recognized what Crow was doing, but in her shock, did not miss the fact that his target was not Sasame, but a few inches to the left of the girl's head. If Ino had seen Sasame in battle beforehand, she would've understood exactly what Crow was up to. But all she could see was empty air between Crow and what she thought was his target: Haku, who was standing just behind and slightly to Ino's left. She reacted impulsively, mirroring Crow's hands at once, but there was no mistaking her target.

Behind his mask, Crow paled, knowing precisely what would happen in the next moment. If he attacked, there was a chance that he would save the Sandaime, and have his secrets exposed to the one person he so desperately wanted them hidden from. If he held back, even for a second, the Hokage would surely die, and more than likely everyone present, save for Sasame, would follow. Given those choices, there really was no choice at all.

"Shichishou no Jutsu (Seven Lives Technique)," Sasame hissed, her eyes narrowing. Six dark violet shadows burst from the base of her neck, but one immediately froze, shuddering uncontrollably as it hit the ground.

Crow's body began to slump, then visibly straightened. Ino collapsed across Konkon's neck.

Haku needed only a glance to know where Ino's soul was. He immediately stepped backwards into an ice mirror, reappearing at Crow's side.

Sasame suddenly went limp, while five of the shadows hovering over her went into hyperactivity, zooming at everything in the nearby area. Kyojuu fell under attack first, quickly backpedaling as one of the shadows belched a stream of fire at him. Crow was the next target, but Haku was quick to defend him with an ice mirror. Seeing that, the shadows switched tactics, and one dove into the ground, only to re-emerge in the form of a jagged pillar of rock that nearly tore Haku in half.

Konkon sprinted into action, diving through the web of shadows and carefully bumping Crow so that he fell across her back as well. Then, with a wave of her tails, all three vanished from view.

With Ino out of harm's way, Haku and Kyojuu decided to hold nothing back. Ice mirrors appeared randomly around the area, and yellow lightning leaped from Kyojuu's claws, flying back and forth between the mirrors until everything and everyone was trapped in an electric net. The shadows tested the net cautiously, and shrieked in pain when they received nasty shocks as a result.

"Looks like we've got things wrapped up here, Haku," Kyojuu grunted.

Haku frowned. "No. She said seven, but I only count six shadows. Where is the last?"

As one, they both turned to the Sandaime, and got a nasty shock of their own. They were just in time to see the final shadow creep out of the old man's collar, and sink its fangs deep into the Hokage's heart. Haku's arm blurred, sending a trio of senbon flying at the shadow. They all hit their mark, but even as the shadow fell away, Haku could see that he had been too late. A black, ink-like stain began to spread from the wound, slowly but surely covering more and more of the Hokage's body. The old man groaned softly and fell to his knees, his eyes glassy and unseeing.

Not liking the way the stain was spreading even over the Hokage's clothes, Kyojuu ripped apart the front of the Sandaime's robes, only to see a similar effect on his chest. "Can you stop it?" he asked quietly, turning to Haku.

Haku grimaced as he knelt next to the Sandaime. "Stop it? I don't even know what it is! I'd probably make it worse."

The Hokage grabbed Kyojuu's shoulder abruptly. "Naruto," he wheezed, and then, after a long, shaky breath, "Gaara..."

Kyojuu's eyes widened. "Can they stop it?!"

"No," Haku murmured, recognizing the look in the old man's eyes. "But go get them, anyway. They should be here, when the Hokage breathes his last."

* * *

"You should not have come here. I will not allow you to proceed any further."

Ino said nothing as she stared up at the enormous crow. She wasn't surprised to find obstacles within the ANBU's mind, but she hadn't expected them to be so... literal. For now, however, the crow seemed wary, but not overly hostile. It was best not to make any threatening moves until she had a better grasp on the situation.

"This is the mind of a Yamanaka, isn't it?" she asked.

The crow peered at her closely. "You've already decided on the answer. I can see it in your eyes."

Ino smirked. "There's no other way to use that jutsu, and have it work. But I guess you aren't going to give me a name, huh?"

"That is correct."

"Can I ask why you're here, then?"

"It is my duty," the crow replied, "to guard this mind and the secrets it holds."

"So why haven't you kicked me out yet?"

"You should not be here, but you cannot access any of the information I protect from this point, either. The owner of this body wishes you no harm. Also, I have been instructed to tell you that your friend was not the target of his attack."

"Then who was?" Ino demanded.

"The stolen spirits within that girl."

Ino's eyes widened. "That's not possible!"

The crow sighed and shook its head. "For a Yamanaka with a shadow spirit attached to your body, you have a surprisingly limited imagination. Not only is it possible, it is real. She has used them to kill before, and thanks to your interference, she may again. That is why you are still here: to keep you from harm, and to keep you from harming anyone else."

* * *

Most people who faced him in battle didn't realize it, but the key to Hatake Kakashi's success, long career, and huge arsenal of jutsu was not the Sharingan.

It was Kage Bunshin.

From the moment he had first learned the true importance of that jutsu, Kakashi had become a man possessed. And he warned others away from it, not only because of the obvious dangers, but out of fear that someone might stumble upon his incredible secret.

The Sharingan was rumored to cause madness, and Kakashi firmly believed that still. He had frantically searched for a way to counter the downside to Obito's final gift, and he had found it.

Each of Kakashi's questionable quirks aided him in his quest.

The lateness allowed him plenty of time to create clones that moved throughout the village, stealing techniques and ensuring that Kakashi not only knew more jutsu than most ninja in Konoha, but more than the Sandaime Hokage himself.

His beloved Icha Icha was source of relief and escape from the seemingly endless download of information.

The mask hid his pained expressions each time a clone was dispelled.

He could stop at any time, but Kakashi never would. He'd lost too many people by being ill-prepared, and it would never happen again. Beyond that, while the chakra drain from the Sharingan still taxed the clones, and Kakashi himself, he had gradually built up a tolerance over the years. Now the drain was only significant on the clones, as opposed to Kakashi, although he still had to endure their fatigue himself.

Over the past decade or so, Kakashi had never knowingly entered a battle without creating at least two clones beforehand. The beauty of these scouts was that they only used the Sharingan when absolutely necessary, so Kakashi never became at risk for taking in more information than his brain could handle. And the returning chakra did help combat the Sharingan's drain to some extent. Yet the frequent use was taking its toll despite his best efforts.

There were days when Kakashi's body felt three times its age, and days when he woke up fully expecting to see Rin and Obito standing over him.

In the end, Kakashi was just a man doing his best to survive.

Then his Anko had died, and just living became impossible.

If not for the clone who had witnessed Orochimaru's Edo Tensei, Kakashi might very well have ended his own life, the moment he learned of Anko's death. Without it, he would only have the incomplete notes that Anko had recovered from one of Orochimaru's abandoned underground labs. But his Anko had always been so clever, right up until the very end. She had known that Orochimaru was a creature of obsession, and that he would never be happy until the Sandaime was dead and Konoha crushed.

All that mattered was that the Mangekyou Sharingan had given him power upon Anko's death, and he could now use the knowledge stored in Obito's eye to bring her back to life.

It was odd, how just a couple of simple hand seals and a living sacrifice could restore Kakashi's damaged world to normalcy, or at least what had passed for happiness when he shared his life with Anko. But less than an hour after he'd captured Jirugumo, Kakashi was staring into his beloved wife's face as she opened her eyes and drew breath again.

Her eyes flew to various points in the candlelit room before focusing on him. "S-Scare Bear?" she whispered uncertainly. "Did you die, too?"

"Not yet," Kakashi said softly, reaching up to caress her cheek. He carefully helped her out of the coffin, catching her around the waist as she stumbled against him.

"I don't understand. I was dead, wasn't I?"

"You still are, in a manner of speaking," Kakashi admitted, briefly resting his chin on her head. "You up for learning a new seal?"

Anko frowned slightly. "Now? What does it do?"

"If I'm right, and that's a big if, it should anchor you to this world in general, and me in particular."

"But... what happens if you die, too?"

"Well, we can take care of that right now," Kakashi said, pressing a kunai into her hand. "Once you've learned the seal, and Edo Tensei, you're going to kill me and bring me back. Then we'll apply the seal, and with any luck, we should be anchored to each other. So the only way to destroy us would be to destroy us both. And how likely is that?"

"I've never heard of a seal like that," Anko replied, looking doubtful.

"It didn't exist before. You could say I created it from some of it from Sensei's old notes."

"Didn't you tell me once that you flunked Seal Theory?"

"No, I said I WOULD have flunked Seal Theory, if Sensei hadn't helped me cram the night before the final exam. There's a big difference. Anyway, how could it hurt? We'd already be dead."

Anko considered that briefly. "True. But what if we end up with horns and melting faces?"

"Then we'll be able to walk into any restaurant and get free food without waiting in line. Now shut up so I can hurry and teach you the jutsu, before this other Sound-nin I found wakes up and decides he doesn't want to be a living sacrifice."

She shook her head and smiled. "Whatever you do, Scare Bear, don't ever change."

* * *

A small amount of foreign but familiar demonic chakra in his body was all it took to open Gaara's eyes. He was not surprised to see Naruto leaning over him, although the sight of the boy's normally blue eyes being a deep red told him otherwise.

"Get up," the blond told him. "The old man is dying." There was no triumph or sadness in his voice, he was merely stating a fact. Gaara was not certain if that was a good thing or not, but put it to the side for the moment. It took great effort to sit up, and Gaara only made it because of Temari and Hanabi offering some much-needed support.

The Sandaime Hokage was lying on the ground in front of them. Haku knelt next to the old man, routinely checking vital signs and mopping up the sweat that continued to appear on the Hokage's face.

Even in his dying moments, The Professor had not lost too many steps. Though his eyes were dark and unfocused, he reached out for them. "Naruto, Gaara. There are things I must tell you now. Come closer."

Naruto and Gaara exchanged looks, but beyond that, neither one hesitated in kneeling next to the old man. Naruto had reason enough to, that is, if Kyuubi suspected the Hokage of some last minute treachery. But it was becoming clear that Kyuubi's influence was fading, either naturally or because Naruto wanted and needed to be himself at the moment. Even as Gaara watched, much of the red faded from Naruto's eyes. Much, but not all.

"Naruto," the Sandaime whispered, "I do not expect your forgiveness. But I hope that these words will bring you some small bit of comfort. You were not born an unwanted child. Your parents loved you dearly, and sacrificed everything so that you could live. They were-"

At that point, Naruto abruptly leaned down, placing his ear next to the old man's lips. Whether the Hokage could see this, or merely sensed it, the message was clear, and his next words were delivered so quietly that only Naruto could hear them.

Gaara made no attempt to listen in. Had he strength to spare, he might've even plugged his ears with corks of sand to keep from hearing. The identity of Naruto's parents naturally interested him, but he had taken an oath to Naruto and the rest of their family of demon vessels. If Naruto wanted to tell him, then so be it. But even if that time never came, Gaara could live with it. If this was all that Naruto would ever have of his parents, he had the right to keep it to himself, if he so desired.

Whatever Naruto had been expecting, he clearly did not like what he was told. His face transformed into a mask of rage that was, amazingly, completely devoid of Kyuubi. This was all Naruto, and he was absolutely furious. Without a word, he rose and moved away from the Hokage. Naruto's steps carried him towards the nearest building, where he sank down against it, glaring up into the sky. He tensed when Hanabi sat down beside him and took his hand, but did not shake her off. Temari kept her distance, not wanting to crowd Naruto, and not wanting to leave Gaara in case he needed her.

Gaara could tell with a glance that if Naruto had his way, they'd be out of Konoha, for good, within the hour. As it was, he suspected that Naruto was now ready to cut any and all ties with the village. It was something Gaara had foreseen, and he himself was ready to leave, too, if that was to be their path.

"Gaara," the Sandaime whispered, recapturing his attention. "Look after Naruto. Don't let him drown in his anger and resentment."

Gaara didn't respond. After the childhood he'd experienced, he felt Naruto had every right to be angry, and was even entitled to some revenge, at least against the civilians who contributed nothing to Konoha's security.

"You can... become Hokage, if that is your desire," the old man murmured.

It wasn't, never had been, and never would be. But Gaara nodded, and the Hokage smiled weakly.

"One last thing, Gaara. The child who struck me down... swear to me that you won't allow her to be harmed. She is not to blame. Orochimaru has..."

Gaara didn't like it, but he agreed with another nod. It was the man's dying request, after all. "I give you my word, Hokage-sama. But you shouldn't die this way, withering as his venom poisons you. I would send you off with a shinobi's death, one more worthy of you."

The old man said nothing, but nodded his head the slightest bit.

It never occurred to Gaara to use his sand. He watched closely as his hands slowly grasped the Hokage's head, tensed, and then twisted sharply, resulting in a loud crack. Once done, he carefully lowered the old man's head to the ground.

"You did him a great service," Haku said quietly.

"I doubt anyone else will see it as anything more than a demon turning on its master again," Gaara sighed. "Kankurou has made sure that I'll at least be implicated in attacking the Hokage's box at the stadium. No one will bother to test whether it was actually my sand used, not after Naruto's transformation. We will all need to leave the village immediately."

"In the middle of an invasion?"

"I can think of no better time." He glanced at Yugito, who was kneeling over the Sandaime's body and carefully closing his eyes, murmuring a few words. "Once she is done here, all of you return to the Uchiha compound and collect everything you need. I will find my team."

"You need my nose?" Kyojuu offered.

Gaara shook his head. "I'd rather take Hanabi, if she is willing."

"Yeah, but... Naruto needs her now, doesn't he?" Kyojuu muttered softly, so they wouldn't be overheard.

"Yes, but this is still a war zone. He is vulnerable, and will need protection. Hanabi cannot provide that, but you can. Besides, there is something that I need to discuss with her... in private."

Kyojuu was no genius, but he didn't like something he saw in Gaara's expression. "You're probably right. She should go with you."

Gaara nodded. "You see the strategic value of my intentions, then."

"Yeah, but really, I just hate seeing girls cry."

* * *

Hinata was carefully smoothing out the sheets on Sasuke's hospital bed when the Uchiha heir stirred and slowly opened his eyes. "I'm glad you're safe, Sasuke," she murmured, not looking at him.

Sasuke stared at her for several moments. "I didn't know you could do that," he said at last. "You never told me, or showed me. You never even implied that you could."

Hinata said nothing.

"Why?"

"Hanabi told me once that I would have to fight you, and that it was important that I win. If I had lost, you would've abandoned me, our team, the whole village. Now I know you won't. You can't." Hinata finally looked straight into his eyes. "Now that I've beaten you, you'd never leave until you knew for a fact that you could beat me."

Sasuke bit his lip. "You don't want to be my wife anymore, do you?"

Hinata blinked. "What? Of course I do. Why do you think I stopped you in the first place? You were becoming Itachi, and I corrected your mistake. That's my duty, as your wife. Haven't you learned anything? Trying to leave was the wrong choice. And if I'm right, you couldn't call upon Shizuka's power because she knew it, too."

"Actually, she was more upset that I wanted to use her power against you," Sasuke admitted. "And no more 'Sasuke-kun,' I see. Have we grown past that?"

"You forced us past it," Hinata stated. "But don't get the wrong idea. This battle has brought us closer. You loved me when I was timid, and that's fine. But I think you'll love me more if I challenge you. I'll bind you to me with my own strength. I won't give you any reason to leave me a second time."

Sasuke continued to stare at her, surprised that she wasn't more upset. Then something dawned on him. "You aren't going to tell Gaara that I tried to run."

"Not unless he asks. I am still your wife, and I will stand by you. But make this the last time that you run away from me, Sasuke. I don't know that I can convince Hizashi to be so merciful again."

Recalling the intense pain of Hizashi's hits, he was about to question Hinata's definition of mercy when someone knocked on the door.

Hinata glanced in that direction, her Byakugan instantly activating, then deactivating in the space of two seconds. "Come in, Sakura," she said.

The door slowly opened, and Sakura stuck her head in, with Akamaru riding on top of it. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you either of you had seen Naru-" She paused, blinking owlishly at Sasuke's heavily bandaged chest and arms. "What happened to him?"

"A mistake in judgment," Hinata replied calmly. "You were asking about Naruto-kun? I haven't seen him in some time. But why ask me? I'm sure Akamaru could find him."

"Tsunade-sama said that genin couldn't leave the hospital until someone of a higher rank told us different."

Sasuke blinked. "Hn. Hinata, are we genin?"

"No," Hinata replied, "we're ANBU. But I suppose we are the same size as most genin, could easily be mistaken for them, and in the eyes of some adults, might even be considered genin. So I suppose that ruling applies to us, albeit very, very loosely."

Sasuke smirked. "I suppose you could say we've been naughty, then."

"Gaara would be proud."

Sakura just looked at them like they were crazy as she slipped from the room.

* * *

Gaara had always been the quiet type, but this was different. Hanabi had known him long enough to know the usual silence from a troubled one. It was all in the way he moved as they walked through the village, tracking Sasuke and Hinata. Gaara had, for years now, been able to track scents with a bit of Shukaku's chakra, and for those as familiar as that of his teammates, it took almost no effort at all. But he was doing it all with a stiffness that was unusual, even for him.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" Hanabi finally asked. "Is it Naruto?"

Gaara didn't look at her, another clear sign. "No. Naruto will be fine, in time."

"Then what? I know something is wrong."

"There are several decisions I had to make abruptly."

"Because you're leaving," Hanabi replied. She was not concerned, because she assumed that she would be going as well. After all, Gaara and Naruto needed her. They might never admit it, but they did.

"One of them concerns Ayame."

Hanabi sighed. "You should tell her carefully. She won't take it well. Girls usually don't, when you leave. But it's just something that you have to do this time."

"Indeed," Gaara said softly, coming to an abrupt stop. With barely any pause, he added, "Why do you love me, Hanabi?"

Hanabi gaped at his back, completely unprepared for the question. "Y-You didn't judge me. You never treated me like I was too young, or too innocent. You just accepted me as your equal, even before I could appreciate what that honor truly meant."

"And if I were to hurt you, deeply? You would still love me?"

She frowned. "I think so, yes."

"Then I am sorry. I have chosen Ayame."

Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Yes, you've said so in the past. I don't need-"

"You misunderstand me. She will become my mate as soon as time allows. When I leave the village, she will accompany me. You will not."

For several moments, Hanabi could not speak. There were no words to describe all the things that she felt in those endless seconds. In time, Hanabi would even come to realize that she was less upset about his choosing Ayame, and more at being left behind. But she finally settled on one thing that, as a Hyuuga, had always come easily to her.

"So that's it?" she snapped. It took everything she had to glare at his back, to speak to him as if he were beneath her. She had never done that with Gaara: not because she wouldn't have dared, but because he was the only person that she'd never thought of as being lower than her. Not even now. It was the only thing she could do to protect her wounded pride, as a Hyuuga and a young woman.

Gaara did not turn around. "Farewell, Hanabi. I do not think we will meet again, but I will remember you."

"Have you forgotten already? You still owe me!" she cried.

"What is it that you want?"

She bit her lip. "Nothing. Forget it. Why would I want anything from you?"

"Ah. Because I am a monster?" Gaara guessed.

"Yes," Hanabi whispered. "But not for any of the reasons that you're accustomed to."

"Then feel free to hate me," he replied as he walked away. "That, I am accustomed to."

But that was the worst part about it. Hanabi could not bring herself to hate Gaara. He had warned her countless times that he either would not or could not return her feelings, and she had clung to him all the same. But the very act of attempting to push her away was a sign of Gaara's feelings for her, as he never went out of his way to protect anyone that didn't matter to him.

Aside from that, Hanabi's visions had already shown her that, for better or for worse, she was meant to be with Gaara. Even if she'd never wanted to see him again, it just wasn't possible.

It took a great deal of effort for Hanabi to put aside her broken heart, and put one foot in front of the other. Soon enough, she continued following along behind Gaara, as if he hadn't said a word. It was a small relief that Gaara's tension had not faded in the least, proof that he hadn't enjoyed hurting her. But they both knew that things were different now. Their friendship was shattered, and for the first time, Hanabi followed Gaara less because she wanted to, and more out of duty than anything else. She would lead him to Hinata and Sasuke, and once she was sure that they were all safe, Hanabi would be done with Gaara, until the day when he walked back into her life, and became her husband.

* * *

Konkon watched warily as Ino and Crow woke up at the same time. She had brought them to the closest convenient location: a restaurant that had been half-destroyed in the invasion. Konkon had placed both humans in chairs, but made sure they were a good distance from each other, just in case.

Ino, as usual, was the first to speak. "You're a Yamanaka."

Crow didn't move. "No, I was a Yamanaka."

Ino scoffed. "You can't just stop being-"

"Well, I did," he interrupted sharply. "Just drop it. You've messed things up enough as it is. Hokage-sama is probably dead by now, and if you're lucky, that little witch has finished killing your friends and moved on. You don't want to imagine the shape they'd be in if she took her time with them."

"How do you know so much about her?"

"I watched her kill my commander. Do you make a habit of attacking ANBU? It's a wonder you're still alive."

Ino frowned at him. "Maybe I'm more capable than you think."

Crow snorted. "I could say the same to you, especially as an ANBU speaking to a genin that didn't make it to the finals. Haven't we wasted enough time here?"

"What if I decide to tell someone about you?"

"Go right ahead. You wouldn't be the first to try it. But I've got news for you, Yamanaka: your father is the only one in the clan even loosely affiliated with ANBU. There's no record of any other Yamanaka working for them in over ten years. And just so you know, I'm not the only Crow in ANBU."

"What do you have against me and my clan?" Ino demanded.

"Nothing, until you got in my way. Don't let it happen again. After all, your emotional state is already in question. Interfering with ANBU is the sort of thing that could get you thrown in prison for life, at the very least. So watch your step from now on." He turned away and vanished into a small whirlwind of black feathers.

"Jerk," Ino muttered.

"He did have a point," Konkon added. "No more challenging ANBU unless you know you can take them. You barely even knew his name."

"His name's 'Yamanaka Baka' as far as I'm concerned!"

"See, you aren't listening. He's NOT a Yamanaka anymore."

Ino glared at her. "Like I said, you can't stop-"

"Ino, people are driven out of clans all the time. And as hostile as he was, I can't imagine the Yamanaka would've wanted to keep him around. Maybe he was family once, but now he's a stranger that probably knows every trick you learned from your father, and then some. You can't underestimate him again. I don't think he'd kill you, since he had the chance and didn't take it, but he might be able to make trouble for you and your father. Besides, we have more important things to worry about. I want to get back to the Boss and Naruto."

"Yeah, okay," Ino grumbled as she swung herself onto Konkon's back. "You can track them, right?"

"That's the easy part. Making sure we don't run into any further problems is not."

Ino grinned. "I've got that part covered." She glanced down at the floor. "Shika, you run ahead of us, and let me know if you spot anything, okay?"

Though it was difficult to see in the dim restaurant, Ino could just make out a dark, humanoid shape slipping silently across the floor.

"Now why couldn't we ever get Shikamaru to do that?" Konkon muttered as she followed the shadow.

"He wasn't a scout. He liked to go in last, not first. He was lazy, remember?"

"Maybe. Or maybe he just preferred to watch your back."

Ino blinked, having never considered that before. "Yeah, maybe..."

* * *

Tayuya woke up on a lumpy mattress in a bad mood, but this was nothing new. It was pretty much routine, in fact.

What WAS new was that Iruka wasn't immediately rushing to her side, or already there to begin with. Instead, he was on the other side of the dark room, talking quietly to a dark-haired woman that Tayuya instantly hated, for no reason that she could readily admit. But the feelings of jealousy must have seeped into her seal, because Iruka quickly broke off the conversation and moved towards her, a relieved smile spreading across his face.

"What the hell are you so happy about?" Tayuya demanded as he knelt down beside her.

Iruka's smile widened as he leaned in and kissed her, abruptly but firmly.

Tayuya's eyes tripled in size,and she jerked her head back and turned away, but he had already seen the red creeping into her face. "Y-You bastard! I didn't give you permission to do that!"

"I'm glad you're okay, Tayuya-chan," Iruka said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. "I was really worried about you."

She scowled at him, but made no further attempts to free herself. "Oh, yeah? Was that before or after you got done with the floozy over there?"

Iruka laughed, though not unkindly. "That 'floozy' is a medic-nin, her name is Shizune, and she probably saved your life. And since she is apparently here on Kabuto's orders, she certainly didn't have to. You should be thanking her."

"If she's mixed up with that creep, then I'm not telling her shit!" Tayuya snapped.

Iruka only smiled again, giving her a quick peck on her mouth. "I really did miss you."

"Dammit, quit doing that!" Tayuya shouted, shoving him away. "You like me, I get it, now back the fuck off!"

"Whatever my mistress wishes," Iruka agreed. He made a point of staring at her lips, however, which only worsened Tayuya's mood. She took the chance to get a better look at Shizune, and was immediately puzzled. There was no Cursed Seal on Shizune that Tayuya could see, so she wasn't one of Orochimaru's elite. And Kabuto was easily the best medic-nin that the Sound had, so he wouldn't bother keeping Shizune around unless she was exceptionally talented, and even then, he was probably still better than her. Maybe he was just getting lazy and trying to delegate some of his work, but that was likely to get Shizune killed, if Orochimaru found her lacking. Not that Tayuya cared, anyway: she wasn't about to thank Kabuto's lackey.

"You two should really think about leaving now," Shizune said suddenly. "Based on what I've been hearing, Orochimaru is dead. I don't know what Kabuto intends to do when he gets back, but I think it's in your best interest to be gone before then."

Tayuya's hand immediately went to her Cursed Seal. It was still there, and in fact felt no different. She'd always thought that in the unlikely event of Orochimaru's death, something would happen to the seal, but there had been nothing. She was more inclined to think that meant he wasn't dead, and was just faking it for the time being. That would've been an old trick for him. Every Sound-nin knew at least one horror story about how Orochimaru had ruined a premature celebration of his death by showing up and murdering all of the guests. So even if he was dead, the only place Tayuya planned to celebrate was inside her own head.

"What do you want to do, Tayuya-chan?" Iruka asked.

She shrugged, unable to answer. Maybe escaping Orochimaru's hold was a common dream among Sound-nin, but that was all it was. No one would actually dare to have physical proof of such a plan, or keep it at the forefront of their minds where Orochimaru could easily detect it. She had always assumed that she would work for Orochimaru for the rest of her life, however long that was. Now that she actually had other options, Tayuya had no idea what to do.

"Whatever you decide, we should get away from here," Iruka advised. "But I'll follow wherever you go."

"Fuckin' stalker creep," Tayuya muttered with a small smile.

* * *

Naruto was not in his right mind at the moment. He had always wanted to assume that his parents weren't important in Konoha, that the Sandaime had simply taking a liking to an unfortunate orphan. That might have explained why so few people in Konoha had been unwilling to sympathize with his circumstances. Not unlike his father's final wishes, Naruto would've expected to be praised for simply containing Kyuubi and protecting the village. If nothing else, as a Hokage's heir, he should've been hidden away or at least protected from harm.

Instead, he had been hated and abused at every turn. Naruto understood now that a Hokage was not all-powerful, but he was also aware that it had not been beyond the Sandaime's ability or power to defy the council's ruling and keep him safe. It would have created tension, and perhaps it could even have cost the Hokage his title, but even then, there were only so many people in Konoha brave enough to attack the God of Shinobi, and an even smaller number that could actually defeat him, no matter what his age.

So it wasn't impossible for Naruto to have been raised by at least a loving father figure. But the Sandaime had chosen to keep his power, using only the bare minimum of it to keep Naruto alive. Naruto could understand that. But he didn't like it, nor would he ever forgive it. Some things were worth widespread public scorn, in his mind, and while serving as the jailer of a demon was nowhere on the list, abandoning a high rank to take care of said jailer certainly was. There should have been some code between Hokages that guaranteed the safety of their families, provided that the succession had been of the friendly sort. The Sandaime had clearly felt indebted to Naruto's father, so Naruto found it hard to believe that his treatment in Konoha would have been deemed acceptable by his father. If nothing else, Naruto himself deemed it unacceptable, and that was all that really mattered to him.

Unfortunately, there was not much time to properly dwell on this. Gaara had tasked Naruto with delivering the unconscious Sasame to the proper authorities, and then returning to the Uchiha compound with the others so that they could leave the village quickly and without detection. In no mood to play guard, Naruto had tasked three of his clones to deal with Sasame while he and the others went home. He was aware of Gaara's promise to keep Sasame safe, but in all honesty, Naruto couldn't have cared less what happened to the girl.

Perhaps that was why when Naruto became aware that the trio of clones carrying Sasame were destroyed without warning, he didn't react or alert the others. All he knew for certain was that Sasame hadn't done it. It would have been a simple matter to tell someone. Kyojuu would've been glad to check things out, he was easily fast enough to do so in a timely matter, and he still had Sasame's scent.

But Naruto said nothing.

He assumed that it wouldn't matter to him or those close to him, one way or another.

He was very, very wrong in that, and once again, someone close to him would suffer because of it.

* * *

Konohamaru was in a bad mood. Nothing was going like he thought it should.

First, his village had been invaded. That part wasn't completely intolerable, he understood these things happened when you lived in a ninja village. But he had expected to be out there fighting. Instead, he was shoved into a shelter with the other kids, and told to be quiet.

Yet Hanabi, a GIRL (a rather skilled one, but still a girl) had been chosen to fight the invaders. It wasn't fair at all. Konohamaru was certain he could have held his own. The few times he had sparred with Hanabi, she hadn't beaten him by that much, at least.

And even after they were given permission to leave the shelter, no one would tell Konohamaru where his grandfather was, or even if he was okay. More than a little annoyed, he had decided to stick with Ayame. She was nice, she didn't talk to him like he was a baby, and she had promised him a free bowl of ramen. If nothing else, Konohamaru figured that the Sandaime would eventually show up at Ichiraku's, it being one of his favorite places to eat.

Walking through the village with Ayame was a drastically different experience. Konohamaru had never seen such destruction outside of textbooks, and somehow the fact that it had happened to his village made it more real. Some of shops that he went to all the time had been badly damaged, and the idea that it could happen had simply never occurred to him.

Oddly enough, Ichiraku Ramen didn't seem to have suffered any damage at all. This was especially curious, since the shop next door was little more than debris now. Ayame didn't seem surprised at all: she merely asked Konohamaru to wait while she tidied up a bit.

There was nothing to tidy, though, and the way that Ayame went about it was even stranger: she carefully swept small amounts of what looked like brown dust outside. Konohamaru noticed that instead of sweeping it away entirely, she seemed to be forming a large circle with it, one that surrounded the entire ramen stand. Even stranger, it looked a lot like the dirt that Gaara had used back at the shelter.

Ayame was still sweeping when a very large man suddenly stepped through the curtain. He was one of the tallest people that Konohamaru had ever seen, almost as tall as his uncle Asuma. Right away, something about the man gave Konohamaru a very bad feeling. Maybe it was the way his eyes seemed to glow bright green, or that they were the only visible part of his face.

If Ayame was bothered by the stranger's appearance, she hid it expertly behind her usual business smile. "Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen! What would you like?"

The man walked right up to Ayame, perhaps a bit closer than was absolutely necessary. "I'm hunting a certain type of prey, and I need just the right bait to draw them out."

Ayame swallowed nervously. "Well, we have all types of ramen here..."

"I was thinking of something a bit more... alluring." The man's eyes went briefly to the framed pictures of Gaara and Naruto on the wall, and then swung back to Ayame. "I have yet to meet a man that wouldn't drop everything and chase after the right bait."

Before Ayame could ask what he meant, his very large hand had seized her arm.

"HEY!" Konohamaru shouted, drawing the man's attention. "You get away from her!"

The man was not impressed, but he did not look away from Konohamru immediately. In fact, he stared. "Hmm. I know who you are."

Konohamaru's heart leapt into his throat. "Y-You do?"

"Indeed." The man's arm moved so fast that Konohamaru's eyes couldn't follow it, and the next thing he knew, a large hand closed around the boy's neck and squeezed hard, lifting him into the air. "You're bait, too."

It was a struggle just to breathe, but even then, Konohamaru thought he could draw enough air to scream for help. Before he could, he heard Ayame gasp, and when he saw what she saw, any plans to speak faded at once.

A second figure had come into the ramen stand (at least, he assumed it had, but he hadn't seen it do so). It was even taller than the man, and wore an odd bull-like mask with a yellow nose. Whatever this creature was, it wasn't human: its body looked like a childish doodle of a nightmare come to life. But the most frightening thing of all was the limp form of an orange-haired girl, draped over the monster's enormous shoulder.

The message was clear: there would be no mercy, not for women, and certainly not for children.

* * *

The Shodai Hokage was a man of habit. He'd always found time to pause and take a good, long look at the village he'd helped create. It soothed him, and never failed to remind him of what could be achieved with enough faith and hard work, not to mention some very unique botany skills. As a spirit, he had spent nearly all of his time either at the Hokage Monument, or in the Hokage Tower: both had fantastic views overlooking Konoha.

"I assume you're aware that everyone wants to know if you're back for good now."

He smiled from where he stood atop the giant stone replica of his own head, looking over his shoulder to see Hanabi a few feet behind him. Of course she would know where to find him; it was where they'd first met, after all.

"It's a good question, too," Hanabi added when she realized he wasn't going to answer. "If you are staying, you should think about growing some more trees, or working out some sort of deal with the Yamanaka. It's not as if anyone could turn you down, and..."

Hanabi stopped talking as the Hokage turned fully to face her, walked up to her, and then did something truly shocking.

He slowly sank to his knees, and bowed his head until it touched the ground at her feet.

"Shodai-sama," Hanabi said softly, nervously, "what are you doing?" She knew perfectly well what he was doing, she just didn't understand why.

The Shodai lifted his head, the smile never leaving his face. "You truly don't realize what you've done for me, do you, child?"

Hanabi blinked, shaking her head. "No..."

Laughing, the Hokage placed his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them gently. "I was almost forced to destroy the very village I built with my own two hands. I was almost commanded to kill a dear friend, one who I am proud to call the Sandaime Hokage. But you... you and your beautiful voice... saved me from all of that, with just a few words. As far as I'm concerned, I could give you everything I've ever owned, and still never repay you enough."

"Oh," was all Hanabi could think to say. From what she'd heard, the Shodai's clan had technically owned half of Konoha during his reign. "You're... welcome?"

"There is, however, something I can give you." He removed his right hand from her shoulder and slowly passed his fingers over her forehead. "All Hyuuga and Uchiha have chakra reservoirs just behind their eyes. It is generally larger in Hyuuga, which is why the Byakugan can be activated over longer periods than the Sharingan."

Hanabi was tempted to point out that she already knew all that, but made do with a simple nod.

The Shodai smiled. "Your case is slightly different, my young friend. You cannot will your Byakugan to activate. Yet it is connected to your will: each time you are near a spirit, or you enter battle, your eyes respond accordingly. But because you cannot control the activation, you have an abnormally large amount of chakra in your reservoirs. If you cannot increase the frequency at which you release this chakra, the reservoir will begin to put pressure on your brain. That would be even more dangerous than the jutsu your mother passed on to you."

"What can I do?" Hanabi asked quietly.

"Nothing, without help. But that is where I come in." With that, the Hokage untied his forehead protector and placed it in her hands. "This metal is composed of special minerals. Together, they act as a chakra converter. They convert human chakra into nature chakra."

"Will... I be able to use Mokuton jutsu?" Hanabi asked, her eyes wide.

He shook his head slightly. "Again, not without help, but that can wait. As you know, spirits sometimes anchor themselves to a certain place or person that is important to them. For me, that place has always been Konoha. But now, after all that you have done for me, with your permission, I would like that place to be at your side."

"But... why?" Hanabi whispered.

"There are several reasons. But the simplest is perhaps the most important. A long time ago, I lost a close friend of mine to the darkness. I swore to myself that if I ever found another close friend, I would not make the same mistakes. With you, I've been given that second chance. Maybe, now that I am not too busy running a village, I can learn to be a far better friend."

"But the village still needs you!" Hanabi cried. "You can't just ignore that because you want to be my friend!"

"I never said I would. As you are aware, this village has a history of ignoring the will of fallen Hokages. And while it is true that we often lay down our lives for the village without hesitation, we all assume that our final wishes would be honored out of gratitude, if nothing else. This is something I intend to see enforced, starting with the Yondaime's will. Can I count on your support, Hanabi, daughter of Hotaru? Will you speak for me?"

Hanabi didn't have to think long. It was too late to undo everything that had been done to Naruto, but so much could be made right if ignorance was no longer an excuse. Besides, she wanted something to keep her mind off of Gaara, and this was a more than worthy cause.

"Only if I get to boss people around."

He chuckled. "You are the voice of the fallen Hokages. Your word is very much law."

* * *

"You have all seen for yourselves the chaos that Sarutobi's mistakes have caused," Danzo said as he shuffled across the dim council room. "This exchange was among the greatest of his failures. It has become obvious that Gaara was merely biding his time, waiting to turn on us. It was his brother that helped him bring down Sarutobi, and Gaara himself snapped the old fool's neck. On top of that, our village has been ravaged by the power of Kyuubi yet again. A power that Sarutobi willingly handed over to the Sand, making this invasion possible. I ask you, how long will we continue to play the victim? Now is the time for swift and decisive action."

"What is it that you have in mind, Danzo?" Koharu asked. "We are all well aware of your desire to become Hokage, and that-"

"No," Danzo interrupted. "It has become clear to me now that a Hokage is not fit for this type of work. That is why it has never been carried out by one. I am not here to nominate myself for Hokage. I am here to request the reactivation and reorganization of Root into an external peacekeeping force. I vow that Konoha will never again be invaded."

This statement was met with mixed reactions. Most present were shocked that Danzo had apparently given up on being Hokage. Others knew better.

"External to what degree?" Homura questioned.

"Our first order of business would be to confirm the rumors of the annihilation of the Sand."

"You're saying that they've been destroyed? By whom?"

"That is why we need to confirm, in case we are the next targeted. It is likely in our weakened state. However, there is one last bit of internal business I believe we must address first."

Koharu was not surprised at all. "And what might that be?"

"Based on the devastation we have suffered, I recommend that Konoha do everything in its power to capture and execute all surviving demon vessels. Root would of course assist in this."

Koharu and Homura exchanged glances, but neither said a word.

A chair shifted, and Aburame Shibi stood up. "Danzo is correct in one thing. We can no longer hesitate."

Homura nodded. "All in favor of the reactivation and reorganization of Root, also recognizing them as Konoha's external peacekeeping force?"

Every hand in the room went up with almost no hesitation.

"All in favor of the capture and execution of the surviving demon vessels?"

Slowly, one by one, each of the hands went up again.

Danzo smiled slightly and inclined his head respectfully. "Long live the great tree."

**End of Chapter 35.**

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**Next Chapter: Broken Bonds**

Kakuzu's plot draws the demon vessels out of Konoha, but the village is unable to pursue, thanks to the intervention of certain undead persons.

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Endnotes:

I am assuming that Kakuzu's extensive knowledge of bounties also includes well-known public figures who could potentially be used as hostages... so, he knows Konohamaru on sight (virtually everyone in Konoha does, so it's not so strange).

Jutsu list:

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Hizashi's jutsu:

Kenjutsu: Hakke Rokujuyon Sho (Sword Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)

Hizashi manifests in physical form, and shadows Hinata as she performs Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. However, he uses twice as many blows, and strikes with far greater force.

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Ino's jutsu:

Kage Bunshin Shika (Shadow Clone Shikamaru):

Ino's overall command to summon her shadow, which can move independent of her body, and sometimes her will.

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Sasame's jutsu:

Shichishou no Jutsu (Seven Lives Technique):

Sasame summons up to seven stolen spirits from her body to attack or defend. Each spirit is powered by a different seal on her body. They can be replaced if destroyed. This jutsu places a severe drain on Sasame's chakra, and sometimes causes her to fall into a state of hibernation for some time.


End file.
